Picture of Success
by abysmal2218
Summary: AU. Secrets, unrequited love, money, and friends make the world go round. Relena finds her lonely life turned upside down after a night with her best friend and her husband's friends. Her life isn't so lonely anymore and drama has found its way into her simple life.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. This wasn't that magical story she had heard about as a child. She was supposed to fall in love effortlessly with some handsome prince who would slay a dragon for her. She wasn't supposed to be in tears every night, stressed about her work, about a man who may or may not exist, and not about her friends' happy lives.

Everything looked so much easier when it wasn't her life.

She twenty five years old and worked with ragged old men all day. Her best friend was Hilde who was happily married to a handsome pilot named Duo Maxwell. Oh, how she envied her best friend. Duo had practically fallen into her lap.

Why wasn't Relena able to find someone like that? Hilde didn't need to lift a finger because Duo was more than willing to bend over backwards for her. He was the perfect doting husband.

Did she get asked out? Of course. She was intelligent, beautiful, and successful, but she did have high standards. She wasn't about to date anyone that didn't have a career, or missing teeth, or even lacked a sense of humor. She didn't claim to be funny, but she thought she was at least somewhat amusing.

She was twenty five years old, but acted fifty. No wonder she couldn't find her other half.

Relena was staring out of her office window when her intercom buzzed. She ignored it. She didn't have any meetings for the rest of the day so there was no need for her to be bothered. Relena was already done with her paperwork, so technically she was able to go home. But going home meant that she would have to go alone. She hated the thought.

"Daydreaming?" A soft voice asked from behind her.

Startled, Relena jumped out of her seat. Her office door should have been locked. She balled her fist close to her chest, hoping that the erratic heart beat would slow. The intruder wasn't dangerous or even male so she felt no need to turn around.

"Sorry for scaring you, but you were miles away again." The voice said again, a small hint of German accented her speech. There was no mistaking it now. Hilde.

"Sorry, Hild. Just had a lot on my mind again." Relena sighed, turning her chair back to face her desk.

"Like what?" Hilde had already made herself comfortable on the expensive leather couch.

"Work, as usual." She said, shifting her stacks of finished paperwork from one side of the desk to the other.

"Of course, that's all you do. Why would you bother to have a normal life?"

Relena sighed, reaching up behind her head to remove the hair clip. "Did you need something or just stopping by to keep me from my work again?"

"Pfft! You were zoned out so I didn't do anything. I came by to ask you something, but if you're going to have an attitude, never mind." Hilde retorted, running a hand through her short spiky hair.

"What?" Relena didn't try to hide her impatience. That's what best friends were for; you didn't have to hide anything from them and you could be as rude as you wanted. They could take it and not hate you.

"Duo and I are having a barbeque tonight. Come over and socialize with us."

"Just the two of you?" She cocked her eyebrow. Hilde had a bad habit of trying to set her up with said inadequate men.

"Just a couple people from Duo's work." Hilde gave her a toothy grin.

"No thanks.

"Lena! I'm not setting you up. Just come and hang out with me. All those pilots are boring and I want my best friend there."

"I don't believe you. You always say you just want me to be there for you and then you ditch me next to some sleazing guy. Who is he now?" Relena said harshly.

"Honest. There is no one specific in mind."

"Throwing me to the sharks then?"

Hilde stood up abruptly, growing impatient with her blonde headed friend. "Come if you want. I'm not going to force you or even blackmail you."

"Appreciated." Relena smiled, waving lazily as her German friend walked out from the office.

She frowned, giving up on her stacks of papers. There was no need to relocate them. They were done and organized already. She really had nothing to do for the rest of the day. Relena checked her wristwatch, groaning that it was only three in the afternoon. Two more hours until everyone else would be done.

She decided to go ask for more work. She'd regret it completely tomorrow, but she needed something to keep her in her office. Mr. Hobbs was always busy so he surely had something. She knocked gently on his thick oak door.

"In!" His low voice said loudly. Relena admitted herself inside, head held high.

"Mr. Hobbs, I've finished my work. I was wondering if there was anything else you would like me to do?"

"Finished? How about you leave early? You work harder than most of us here." He tried to laugh.

Relena tilted only one corner of her mouth in a semblance of a smile. "Thank you."

She couldn't argue with him. If he wanted her to go home then she just had to. Now she couldn't have a good excuse to not show up to Hilde's. She always had the excuse that she was busy with work. Most people would lie, but Hilde knew her best and knew that she was a terrible liar. Something in her tone gave her away.

Just a barbeque at their house? She wouldn't need to dress up for it. In fact, she should dress down. Duo always liked to poke fun at her for wearing her business suits everywhere. She liked the man, but his constant jests where only funny for so long.

Relena sighed as she walked back into her office to grab her purse. She'd only go to entertain her friend. The moment Hilde ditched her, she was leaving. She wasn't going torture herself with men that were probably dull and old. She got enough of that at work. Right, dinner at Hilde's just to show that she was indeed a good friend. That was all tonight was going to be.

After dinner, she would return home, alone.

She didn't know when she had left the office or even the building, but when she came back to her senses, she was already walking the busy sidewalks. She really needed to stop daydreaming so much. It was starting to concern her. She was never the type to daydream. She was always so focused. Why was she now so concerned about a relationship? She had spent her entire life alone. She never dated, not counting Jake in high school that only lasted about a week.

She was proud of herself. She could handle everything on her own. She didn't even need a warm body to sleep next to because she had her cat.

What was wrong with her now?

The moment she walked into her apartment, her phone rang. She sighed when she saw her mother's face appear on the screen. "Hello Mother."

"Relena, are you busy?"

"No, I just got home." Relena carried the phone in her hand as she removed her high heeled shoes and tossed her purse on her couch.

"Off early? Did you get fired?" Worry etched her mother's aging face.

"No, of course not. I just finished everything so I went home."

"There's always something to do at work, Relena. You never have everything finished."

"According to Mr. Hobbs, everything was done."

"I'm starting to think Mr. Hobbs is going senile."

"No, he's fine, Mother." Relena tried not to sigh heavily.

"Go back to work and find something to do." She hung up before Relena could argue any further.

People wondered why she was such a perfectionist. They didn't know why she always had to be busy and why she always worked faster and harder than anyone else. If they had met her mother they would understand everything. Her father was always traveling until he was, unfortunately attacked during a business meeting. She had braced herself for it, so it wasn't nearly as traumatic as it could have been. Her father did work for the government after all.

Her mother had been a stay at home mother for most of Relena's life, but once her father died; she took up a small portion of his work. She traveled just as much, but didn't have nearly as many responsibilities. The Darlians were famous among the political arena.

She tried to busy herself at home, cleaning, rearranging her rooms until finally she caved in and called her best friend. There was only so much she could do at the house she rarely was in.

"What time should I come over?" Relena asked the moment Hilde answered.

"Thank you! You are an amazing friend." Hilde's accent became thicker in her excitement.

"Yeah, I guess I am. What time?"

"I don't care. It's not like you need an invitation to come over."

"Right. I'll be there in an hour." She hung up her phone and went to her closet. It was disappointing that she had so many suits and hardly any casual clothes. She knew the basic rules of fashion, but never paid attention to what to do for a night out. She didn't have time for casual.

Frustrated, she settled for a silk blouse and her most worn pair of black slacks. It was Hilde's house, after all. No need to impress anyone there. Only slightly satisfied, she walked out of her apartment and hailed a cab.

It was just going to be her and Hilde for most of the night. Duo was an extrovert who could entertain an army if need be. Relena and Hilde would just be in the house, only conversing amongst themselves. But then why was Relena's stomach twisting so tightly?

* * *

**A.N.I probably won't update this one as often as Just Like the Movies. This was my first idea, but I couldn't really think of a conflict so it's on the backburner for the moment. Sorry :(**


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry it's a little shorter

* * *

Chapter Two

Just as Hilde had said, the party was small. There were only a few guys over that gathered around Duo and his grill. Relena was relieved to be able to walk through the open gate without being noticed by anyone. Hilde was found inside the house making some of the side dishes. The German girl was just too easy to scare.

Relena walked silently up behind the shorter woman and pinched her waist. She couldn't stop laughing as Hilde jumped a foot in the air and screamed. If she had screamed any louder she was sure Duo would bust through the window with a gun pulled.

"Rel! That was not funny!" Hilde enunciated strongly.

"Karma's a bitch. You scare me, I scare you."

Hilde huffed, turning back to the platter of sliced vegetables. The blonde couldn't help herself to the fresh cucumber and carrots. Even as Hilde slapped her hand away, she used her other to grab more. She was hungry as she worked through her hour long lunch break assuming it would take her hours to finish her paperwork.

"Are you feeding an army? That's a lot of food for just a few of us." Relena asked, cupping the stolen vegetables in her hand as she sat at the dining table.

"If they're anything like Duo, this won't be enough."

"Good grief."

"Help me take this out?" Hilde asked, offering a large serving bowl of salad to Relena.

"Of course, I am your best friend which translated to slave."

Hilde laughed, pushing the screen door open. Relena had been in such a hurry to get inside undetected that she didn't really get to see all of the other pilots. There were three other men there besides Duo, and only one of them brought company. The Chinese man that stood furthest away from Duo was scowling at the other blonde woman next to him.

"Oh, I should introduce you." Hilde said, tugging gently on Relena's elbow to walk towards the men.

"Everyone, this is Relena Darlian. Rel, this is Trowa Barton." Hilde pointed to the tallest man with long brown hair over his eyes. "Quatre Raberba Winner." She pointed to the blonde man next to Trowa. "Wufei Chang and his wife, Sally." Hilde now pointed to the Chinese man.

Relena smiled politely, whimpering a simple hello. She had started walking backwards when she was unceremoniously lifted into firm arms.

"I've missed you, Rel!" Duo's cheery voice said from behind her.

She laughed, hugging the arms. "I've missed you too, Duo."

She could feel the blood rush to her cheeks as Duo set her back on her feet. She had noticed that all of the guests had smiled at the sudden assault. Although Relena was a sociable person, she couldn't handle awkward moments around new people; especially when Duo and Hilde were around. The couple seemed to lose their social filters whenever Relena was present.

One of Duo's favorite pass times was embarrassing Relena. He always told her she was a cherry when she blushed.

"Are we missing someone, babe?" Hilde asked, holding up napkins and plastic cutlery.

"Yeah, he'll be here in a while. He called and said his flight got delayed a couple hours."

It seemed as if that was all the needed to be said for the group to disperse. Duo walked over to Hilde, leaving the grill unattended. Wufei and Sally took a seat on the stone bench near the small garden, while Trowa and Quatre cornered Relena.

"You're a Darlian?" Quatre asked.

She nodded, trying to take a step back.

"Are you related to the late George Darlian?"

"He was my father." She raised her head, confident now that these men only wanted to discuss political affairs.

"I'm sorry to hear about his death. It must have been hard for you."

This blonde man surprised Relena. Most of the time when people find out about who her father was only spoke of his work and the amazing things he had done. Hardly any of them offered their condolences after so many years.

"My mother and I only knew it was matter of time before something like that would happen."

"I heard your mother took over his position. Do you work with her as well?" Trowa's cool voice asked from behind a half empty beer bottle.

"No, I work as a financial manager. I never really felt a passion in politics."

"I'm sure your mother was disappointed."

She shrugged. In all honesty, she was. She wasn't just disappointed, but furious. Luckily, Relena told her mother her choice of career only a day before she left for college. She only had to suffer through her wrath for twenty four hours. Her mother actually felt the need to bring her father into the argument, which Relena felt was a low blow. She knew her father wouldn't have cared what she did with her life just as long as it was legal and made her happy.

She liked numbers. It calmed her that they were always consistent. She could talk to anyone in numbers.

Trowa offered her a chilled beer from the cooler next to the grill, which she took graciously. She wasn't a big drinker, but she would amuse the man and sip on it for the night.

After a few more minutes of the small talk with them men, she realized that she had fallen into Hilde's trap. The German girl was off inside the house, probably laughing hysterically that Relena was now stuck next to two men. Not, that she was complaining _too_ much. Quatre and Trowa were both attractive, but she only came to be with her friend.

She excused herself as politely as she could and walked towards the house.

"DUO! The grill is on fire!" Hilde screamed as she burst from the backdoor.

Relena narrowly missing being tackled by her friend. Sure enough, the food and top of the grill were consumed in flames. She noticed Wufei and Sally laughing from the bench, refusing to extinguish it. Trowa and Quatre went to the side of the house to get a hose. All the while Duo is standing next to the picnic table with a mouth full of food and panic on his face.

Hilde was fighting her way through the smoke with a towel, coughing when Relena launched herself forward to help. She blindingly dumped her beer towards the grill, hoping any liquid would help. However, she remembered once the bottle was empty and the flames grew larger that alcohol was flammable.

Suddenly, she heard a sizzling sound. She opened her eyes slightly, noticing the flames had gone out, but replaced with black smoke. She covered her mouth and took a step back out of the line of smoke.

"Maxwell, how about you be a good host and keep an eye on the food." A deep voice barked from the smoke.

A moment later, a man walked into her line of blurry vision. And he was, by far, the most beautiful man she had ever seen in her life.

* * *

**A.N. Okay, I don't want people to think I'm trying to portray her as a dumb blonde, because I'm not. I made her dump the beer because out of panic, everyone does dumb things. She's quite intelligent, which is what I'm hoping I'm getting across to everyone. Also, I know in the series, her father didn't have a name so I made one up.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Relena didn't honestly know how to flirt without it looking horribly obvious or as if she had some sort of twitch. So, now that she had seen this handsome man appear from the smoke she froze stalk still and tried to scheme something. Naturally, she was unsuccessful. Her mind was so busy trying to process the situation she nearly missed Duo's introduction to the both of them. It seemed as if all the other men already knew each other so she was the only outcast.

Heero Yuy.

She thought it was a strange name, but she wasn't one to judge. What was even stranger was his attitude. He simply nodded to her and walked away to stand next to Wufei and Sally. She couldn't help but frown at his cold nature. Quatre and Trowa seemed keen on talking to her almost instantly. Not that she was expecting attention, but she was expecting some sort of conversation about careers or something. He didn't do anything.

Relena felt the need to speak to her best friend immediately.

She scanned the yard for the German girl, but found no sign of her or Duo. It was always safe for her to go inside the house, even when Hilde was yelling at her husband. Hilde wasn't too violent when she was angry and the grill fire wasn't anything out of the ordinary in the Maxwell household.

"Hilde!" She yelled, pulling the backdoor wide open.

She saw Duo sitting at the kitchen table, head hung low and Hilde towering over him with her hands on her hips. Normally it would be a comical sight for Relena, but she had something important to ask Hilde so the humor could wait.

Hilde looked up to Relena and dismissed Duo. Relena knew Hilde hated talking to her husband like a child, but there were times when it was necessary. Once Duo passed by her, Relena occupied his previous seat, staring at Hilde with large, pleading eyes.

"What?" The short haired woman asked.

"You know I don't believe in love at first sight and I certainly don't fall in love, but that Yuy guy…."

"Don't bother, Relena. He's not your type at all and he's pretty rude. Duo is always complaining about him because he likes to do things alone, even though they're usually partners during flights. Besides, I think he's dating someone."

"Oh… well, I think I should still talk to him. It never hurts to have some friends and I don't want to be the only one here that doesn't know everyone again."

"But you know everyone now. You haven't spoken to Wufei or Sally. I like Sally a lot, but she's always close to her husband because he can get angry pretty easily."

"I tried to talk to them, but I was bombarded by Quatre and Trowa."

"Quatre's your type. I actually wanted you to talk to him more than anyone else."

Relena frowned, "You said you weren't trying to hook me up with anyone."

Hilde simply smiled and stirred the ice in the unsweetened tea. "I had thought you two could talk, but that wasn't the _main_ reason I wanted you to come over."

Relena crossed her legs, turning her gaze towards the antique white table. "I'm just about to give up, actually. I've been thinking about it a lot lately, and I think I really should just consider being alone for the rest of my life."

"Relena Darlian! You are twenty five years old! You are too young to think you're going to be alone forever. Quatre is more than interested in you as well as Trowa. That makes it interesting since both of them are best friends, but you have men that are interested. Sometimes I don't think you see how many heads you turn when you walk down the street." Hilde scolded.

There were moments when Relena was really proud to be best friends with her and this was one of those moments. Hilde doesn't give in to pity parties. She could also boost your ego in a matter of seconds without meaning to. Relena knew she was just trying to make a point, but didn't realize that her ego had actually been raised by her little rant.

"I guess, but I see someone that _I _am interested in and you shoot me down before I have a chance."

"I know him better than you and I know it wouldn't work. Two loners don't go together, Relena."

"We could be alone together."

"That's a contradiction."

"I know." Relena smiled, playing with the string coming out of the table runner.

Hilde sighed heavily and pulled a chair out beside Relena. This usually indicated that she wanted to have a serious talk. In all honesty, Relena wasn't in the mood anymore. She didn't want to be inside the house or outside anymore. She felt like going home and reading an old classic book and cuddling with her cat. If she was going to be alone, at least she would have her books and cat.

"Relena, I want you to go back outside and talk to Quatre with the thought of a possible relationship in mind. You might find that you like him."

"No, I think I'll go home."

"No," Hilde said sternly. "You're staying here and enjoying human interaction."

Relena wasn't going to fight it any longer. She'd begrudgingly drag herself outside and talk small talk with Quatre. Hilde was right; there wasn't anything wrong with talking to Quatre with the intent of getting to know someone. How was she suppose to fall in love with someone if she wasn't open to it?

She stood up, putting on a small smile for her friend and walked back outside. The grill was under control again and the burnt food was thrown out. Now it was just waiting for the new meat to be ready. Relena knew she'd be forced to sit next to Quatre, but she wondered whether or not she'd be able to keep her eyes off of Heero.

"Excuse me." A deep voice said suddenly as she took a step out of the backdoor.

Relena nearly fell when she realized she was in Heero's way. Her breath hitched in her throat and her feet stumbled as she tried to move aside. Luckily, Heero seemed too occupied to notice any of her faults. Other than the mumbled words, he pushed past her without any indication that he was going to wait for her to go ahead of him. Hilde had been right; he was rude.

She frowned, mentally smacking herself for falling for it again. He was extremely attractive, but so was Quatre. Now that Relena was looking at the blonde again from a distance, he was indeed handsome. She smiled again, ignoring the fact that Heero Yuy had been her first interest. There was always room for mistakes. Luckily, the only person that knew she had been interested in Heero was Hilde, and that woman would take every secret to the grave. There was no doubt about their loyalties to each other.

As quickly as she could, Relena joined Trowa and Quatre in conversation again. Whether she wanted to or not, she was going to enjoy the night.

* * *

**A.N.: I've figured out the conflict! This will be updated more now that I've figured out where to take it. Don't hate me when things start to heat up! I've got a nice surprise coming!**


	4. Chapter 4

**It's a little shorter but still eventful. **

* * *

Chapter Four

Relena had done well for herself that night; Trowa's phone number and a coffee date with Quatre. She left holding her head a little higher and had even surprised herself at how well she was able to ignore Heero Yuy's presence. The remainder of the dinner had gone uneventful, even for the Maxwell household. Everyone laughed and chatted animatedly. Trowa had slipped her his number, as he strategically sat beside her. Quatre sat across from her so not to lose her to the spikey haired man.

When Relena was leaving, Quatre moved in for the kill. He gave her his number and asked, quite courageously if she would mind having coffee with him sometime. She blushed and accepted.

And now, it was time for them to meet up. He didn't have a flight until later that night and she moved her schedule around so she could actually leave the building for lunch. She was always the type of person to respect punctuality, so she was prime example of it. She arrived ten minutes early at the café, finding a seat near the window so to spot Quatre quickly.

She had only been to this café once before and was far too preoccupied to notice the décor and atmosphere of it all. Once she was settled and took it all in, she felt the tension in her shoulders ease slightly. The aroma of the coffee beans and pastries weighed heavily on Relena's mind. She felt her stomach churn out of hunger when a passerby knocked loudly on the window next to her. Jumping, she turned, hoping to see Quatre smiling at her. However, it was the last person Relena wished to see at the moment. In fact, she had hoped to never see this particular person ever again.

An old client of hers walked into the café, smiling sinisterly to the financial manager. Dorothy Catalonia was the most complicated client Relena had ever had to deal with.

Plastering a large, polite smile on her face, Relena rose from her seat and shook hands with the woman. She hoped that this run in was honestly going to be brief.

"Ms. Darlian, how nice it is to see you again." The long haired woman said.

"Ms. Catalonia, it's wonderful to see you again. How is the business going for you?" Relena seated herself again. To her dismay, Dorothy seated herself across from her as well.

"Very well, actually. Thank you for all of your advice and support. I know I must have been difficult at times, but I wanted this business to be perfect."

"That's understandable."

They sat in silence for a moment. Relena turned her gaze down towards the table, hoping the blonde woman would excuse herself. She could feel the scrutiny the woman was giving her. It was a stare she was quite familiar with and had wished to never experience again. It felt as if the woman was burning holes into her head.

"Are you meeting someone here or just enjoying some alone time?" Dorothy asked, crossing her long legs.

"I'm meeting someone, actually. He should be here any moment."

"I didn't have you pegged for a girl who dated that often. You were always so on top of things with me that I had assumed you were married to your job."

"I like to get out every once in a while, Ms. Catalonia." Relena said venomously.

Dorothy nodded, smirking slightly. "Who is he? I don't like to sound arrogant, but I know quite a few people in this city and if I had figured out you at all, you don't date just anyone."

Relena cleared her throat, shaking back long strands of hair. "Quatre Raberba Winner, actually. He's a –"

"A pilot. I know him, Ms. Darlian. He actually works with my fiancé."

"Fiancé? I wasn't aware you were tied down to _one_ particular person." She said, trying to sound vindictive.

However, Dorothy was the queen of vindictiveness and it simply rolled off of her like smoke. "Well, I am faithful only when he's in town. He travels so often that it seems ridiculous that I wouldn't venture out. I'm sure he does the same. I actually had a taste of Mr. Winner once before."

"Is your fiancé aware of your trysts? I'm sure Mr. Winner had told him about it."

"Oh, he and I explored each other beforehand. It's quite old news actually, but I thought I should give you some advice on him before you spend too much time with him. He won't be interested in you for too long. Just give him the cake now and move on, Ms. Darlian."

"Excuse me?" Relena was taken aback by such an audacious statement. Relena was much too conservative for this kind of conversation. She had had enough of embarrassing conversations with Dorothy all the while she was working with her. Dorothy was quite active in the bedroom and wasn't shy about talking about it.

However, before Dorothy could reply her gray eyes had wandered up towards the window and Relena knew it was only a matter of seconds before Quatre noticed his coffee date chatting with an old fling. This was already going to make for an awkward date. She chanced a glance out of the window and there he was. He was already dressed in his uniform, ready to head out at any moment. Relena was surprised that he wore it well. She felt the corner of her mouth move upward in a slight smile, regardless of Dorothy's warning.

Dorothy stood when Quatre came in. Relena had failed to notice that he was with someone else as well. From brief glimpses, it looked like another pilot. She hoped it might be Duo. He would be able to break any tension in a heartbeat. But then again, it could be Trowa and Relena had yet to call him about setting something up. Relena followed Dorothy's lead and stood, smiling when she caught Quatre's eye. She was surprised when he went in to give her a quick hug around her waist. She rested her chin on his shoulder for a second and it was long enough to witness Dorothy kissing the other pilot on the cheek.

"Ms. Darlian," Dorothy's voice rang out from behind Quatre. "I'd like you to meet my dotting fiancé, Heero Yuy."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Relena was forced to sit uncomfortably for ten more minutes with Dorothy and Heero. The high maintenance woman invited herself to a quick cup of coffee and ruined precious minutes of Quatre and Relena's coffee date. It was only when Heero stood up, pulling Dorothy's arm that they excused themselves. Relena held her head high though; she refused to make eye contact with Heero and kept her voice as steady as possible. Anyone that might know the general overview of the situation would think she was nervous about Quatre and the force close proximity. However, if Hilde had been there she would have known that her best friend was ignoring the rude pilot's cold gaze.

The moment the uninvited couple left, Relena felt her shoulders slack and she finally was able to turn her attention to her handsome date. However, somewhere in the back of her mind, she kept her thoughts on Heero. An hour and a half and three cups of coffee later, she was still only half listening to Quatre. He was good company and had quite a bit in common with her, such as a global empire waiting for him to give up his silly dreams and take over the family business. Relena would be forced to take over the political position if anything were to happen to her mother, but Quatre had sisters that could handle the business. Relena was, unfortunately, an only child.

Some people thought she was ridiculous when she told them about her conundrum. You don't move into a political office just by family; you have to be voted in. Relena then assured them that wasn't the case. Everyone knows everyone and if Relena had been older when her father died she would have been 'voted' in that instant. She remembered when she was younger, reading over her father's documents as if she really understood all of the verbiage. When her father would sit her on his lap and read them to her, summarizing it all, she would immediately speak her opinion. It had happened more than once that she was able to persuade her father to go about a bill differently.

She had a natural knack for politics.

It was only half a shame to end the date. She promised Quatre another date and knew she was honest about it. It was only the interruption that caused her halfhearted interest in him. She also knew she needed to call Trowa for date. She liked them both, and she was only kind of desperate for company. A phone earlier that day from Hilde made her realize she wasn't getting any younger and did need to play the game to find someone. Hilde and Duo were now expecting their first child.

Once Relena was back in her office, she immediately dialed Hilde. She would throw a fit when she heard about the unexpected visitors. However, before she could finish the number, she saw Trowa's number. She would normally have felt bad about dating two men at the same time, especially when they were friends.

"Hello, Trowa, this is Relena Darlian."

She could hear the smile in his voice when he replied. "Oh hello, I'm glad you called."

"Do you still want to go out sometime?"

:::

The following day, Relena was having a very quiet and uneventful day. She had filed almost all of her closed accounts. She made the standard phone calls to current clients. She even finished a project that wasn't going to be needed until next week. All of this was pleasing for her and helped her rid her mind of Heero and getting her back in a good mood.

That was until someone knocked on her office door.

She had nothing to hide, so she beckoned the visitor in. Without looking up, she continued sorting her files. She could see the figure move away from the door and towards her guest chairs. The visitor wore black slacks that were rumpled and wrinkled, as if the person had slept in their clothes.

She didn't have any appointments until the afternoon. She also didn't see any reason someone would randomly come see her at her work. Most people didn't know where she worked. She hated when her personal life would interfere with her business life. She tried her best to keep them separate.

"Excuse me, I was told to come see you if I needed any financial inquiries." A deep voice said suddenly.

"Yes sir. I can help you as much as I can. I could also schedule you an appointment so I can dedicated more time for your inquiries." She said, trying to sound pleasant, but still demanding that she was not tolerant of unscheduled appointments.

"That would be fine. The only problem is that I'm never quite sure what my work schedule will be like."

"I could find some time on a weekend, if that would be easier." She said, still looking at her files.

"Not really. I would prefer to do it now since I have the rest of the day off."

She tried to stifle a sigh, "May I ask what kind of work you do?"

"I'm a pilot."

Relena's head shot up instantly. She knew it wasn't Quatre; the voice was too deep and cold. She thought it could have been Trowa's, but it was too condescending. No, of course not. It had to be Heero Yuy sitting in her office asking for financial advice and arguing with her about schedules. Of course, because he is the only person that could ruin her improving day,

"Mr. Yuy, what a surprise." She squeaked.

"Ms. Darlian, I'm sorry for the intrusion."

She cleared her throat, "Its fine. I usually don't allow anyone in my office without an appointment, but maybe we can try to work something out. What kind of help are you looking for?"

"It's personal, but I need someone to help manage my budget since I travel so often."

"I can certainly try to help you with that. When would be a good time for you to sit down and discuss this?" She tried to hide the shaking of her hands.

"Tonight would be just fine. Dinner at the Majestueux?" He asked confidently.

"Just business, I assume?" She tried to keep her head. She had to remind herself that it was just a business date and nothing more.

"If that's all you want." She saw the corners of his lips tilt upwards slightly.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Relena waited outside the Majestueux. She had only heard of the restaurant and knew that it was an expensive French brasserie. She tried not to dress up too much, as it was only a business date, but the desire to add a little more makeup and something a little lower cut was too overwhelming. The only thing she wore that said business were her suit pants. Relena didn't give in to the urge to do something more with her hair. A simple twist and pin was all she was really willing to do. She knew how to do several things to her hair, but she hadn't felt the need since her father died and she was no longer forced to attend all of the political dinners.

She was ten minutes early, as usual. She didn't think Heero Yuy would be punctual at all and she even assumed him to run late. He didn't have the attitude of caring about other people's time all that much. Once the wind picked up, she decided it best to wait inside. It wasn't rude for her to want to take shelter.

The dim lighting and soft classical music set the mood she wasn't hoping for. She was here for business and nothing else. But she knew that wasn't the real reason she said yes. Hilde would be shaking her head disappointedly if she could see her now.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" The host asked from behind the podium.

"No, I'm waiting for someone."

"What's the name?" he asked as if he didn't hear her at all.

"Yuy."

"Right this way." The host said in a very bored tone.

To her surprise, Heero was there already, sitting at a candlelit table. He looked even more handsome in a suit instead of his pilot uniform. Relena felt her cheeks flush as she sat down across from him.

"Thanks for coming." Heero said deeply, not moving from his seat.

Relena smiled politely, laying her brief case on the table to extract a few files. She didn't look at Heero for even a second. She placed her brief case underneath her chair and started flipping through the papers. She wanted to keep this all as professional as possible.

"Mr. Yuy, I –"

"Heero."

She cleared her throat, "Heero, I just need to ask you a few questions so we can start. What kind of business are you hoping to establish?"

"No business. It's all personal. "

She scribbled on a piece of paper quickly, "Okay, what personal advice do you want?"

"Miss Darlian, let's at least order something to eat first. This can all wait until later."

She opened her mouth as if to dispute, but closed it when she finally looked up at him. There wasn't the hard, indecipherable expression she had seen him wear each time she'd been around him. This time, his eyes looked soft and his clenched jaw seemed to be slightly slacked, but she wasn't sure if the dim lighting had deceived her at all.

Only seconds later, their waiter showed up, dressed in black slacks and a white button down. He didn't even have to say anything before Heero spoke up, ordering a bottle of wine and their food. Relena, although had gone on several dates, never experienced a man taking charge. She almost didn't appreciate that he had ordered her own meal; however, she listened carefully and was surprised that he ordered the exact thing she had wanted.

She let her mouth drop open ever so slightly and watched the waiter walk away. Heero turned his attention back to her, looking smug.

"I hope you don't mind me ordering for you." He said, not sounding concerned at all. "Duo told me what kind of food you usually ate. I made sure this restaurant had something you'd like."

Her eyes widened in disbelief. He had asked about her? He had asked questions about her to _Duo_? She didn't find it necessary to actually respond to him so she averted her eyes back towards her paperwork. It was silly, but those pieces of paper held her strength. She could handle anyone when she was in business mode. No one ever saw her falter or lose confidence when she held those pieces of paper in her hand. It was in those moments that she understood how her father must have felt. In all of those tiresome business meetings and listening to all of the politicians debate back and forth, he must have been strong knowing he held power.

The waiter returned with two glasses and the bottle of wine. Relena could feel Heero's dark blue eyes stare at her, but she simply dismissed it and watched the waiter uncork the bottle and pour a small amount into each glass.

"So, Relena, Duo told me that you have known him for a few years now." Heero tried to start conversation.

She nodded, sipping the wine.

"How'd you meet?" The stoic man leaned onto the table slightly, peering at her closely.

"I met him the same day he met Hilde, actually. I was there to see the 'love at first sight' thing. He was so cheesy with all of his pickup lines, but Hilde fell for them." She sipped the wine again, looking away. His eyes were dark and the candle light was making them all too enticing that she knew she would end up starring and becoming unresponsive.

"How'd you meet Hilde?" he asked monotony.

"School."

Heero continued to stare, ignoring the wine that was resting right by his elbow. She could see a disaster waiting to happen. Wanting to break the tension and awkwardness, she attempted her own round of questions. "How'd you meet Duo?"

"School, as well."

"How long have you and Miss Catalonia been together?"

"A year."

She frowned, realizing he was much better at the questioning game than she was. "How long have the two of you been engaged?"

Suddenly, Heero laughed. It was a deep, guttural laugh which startled her. It almost sounded menacing coming from such an introverted man. "We're not engaged. I wouldn't ask her to marry me."

"Then why did she introduce you to me as her fiancé?"

"You've met Dorothy, right? She doesn't have to have a reason for anything. She just does things and says what she wants, regardless of the consequences." He was still leaning in across the table, scrutinizing her.

"Is that what made you fall in love with her?" She bit her bottom lip, hoping her tone didn't give her jealousy away.

"No," He said simply, "In all honesty, the reason I came to see you was to ask for your help. I need to budget my finances and stash them away from her. She has her own accounts, and, being an heir herself, she doesn't need to have her fingers in my money. I was hoping to save up and start my own private airline, but with her compulsive spending, I see more trouble coming."

"I think I was able to help her establish her own budgets so she wouldn't need any outside money."

Heero cocked an eyebrow at her, "It won't matter."

Nodding, Relena said, "I'll see what I can do, but that means you have to give me some information."

"I'll give you anything you want." Heero said. Before she could reply, however, their food was delivered.

:::

Relena was able to gather all of Heero's information throughout the week. Between phone calls and spontaneous meetings, she had everything she needed to help him. One time, he let it slip that Dorothy had no idea that he was meeting with her. The comment made her blush, but before she would allow her thoughts go anywhere she reminded herself that it was all business.

Although Heero was hiding his funds from his own girlfriend, Relena assumed he was happy with her and that getting her own hopes up would just batter her already tender heart. Instead, she filled her time with Trowa twice that week and Quatre once.

Although both pilots were entertaining and she enjoyed both of their company, she couldn't help but feel as if she was still missing something.

Friday, she sat in her office and enjoyed the quiet. She had cleared her mind of all pilots and all files and accounts. No numbers raced through her mind and she was able to simply enjoy that she was able to spend the weekend with Hilde and another date with Quatre.

Five minutes until it wasn't considered too early to leave the office, her door opened. No knock and no announcement of a visitor. Relena spun around in her chair to see Dorothy settling herself down in the chair opposite her. The blonde's usual flawless face was smeared with mascara and her bottom lip was protruding out further than Relena remembered.

"Heero has been lying to me." She said without waiting for Relena.

So, this was Dorothy Catalonia in distraught.

Relena couldn't find it in her to feel sympathetic towards her. She had been lying to him as well. She stiffened her back and forced words out of her mouth, "What do you mean?"

"He's been seeing someone else. I know he is."

"How do you know?"

"He's been acting very peculiar for the past week. I even saw him at the Majestueux with some other blonde the other night." Dorothy let out a small sob, "Funny thing is, the woman looked like you."

* * *

**Okay, this should already be somewhat interesting, but wait until you see what I have in store for all of you! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Um, please don't be angry with me about the end of this chapter. It's all a part of the plan.**

* * *

Chapter Seven

Relena remained calm. The entire dinner was innocent, except the fact that Heero was trying to hide his money from her in case they ever separated. That much she wouldn't be able to tell her. There was nothing wrong about what they had done, so she felt fine to explain the situation.

"He came into my office the other day wanting some financial advice. I only assumed you had referred him to me."

Dorothy shook her head, protesting. "I saw how he was looking at you. It was the same way he used to look at me."

"I can assure you, it was just business." Relena said firmly.

"Maybe for you. I know Heero better than anyone and he is interested in you." The blonde heiress said venomously.

"It was just business." Relena reiterated.

Dorothy scoffed, turning her head to look at a bare wall of the office. Slowly, minutes ticked by of them sitting in silence. Relena felt no need to apologize for what she had done. Dorothy shouldn't even be distraught about the situation since she has affairs of her own.

"I didn't even know he was in town. I thought he was coming back the next day, but when I was out walking I happened to pass by the Majestueux and saw him." Dorothy said quietly, trying to get pity out of Relena.

"Why are you even upset about this? You have your own trysts with other men so why should you care if he has a business date with me?" Relena snapped, not willing to give in.

"I have affairs, but that doesn't mean he should. He knew from the start that keeping me tied down would be a difficult task!"

"If you can't stay loyal then don't have relationships! He is a good man and doesn't need to be treated like that by _you_!"

Suddenly, both women were yelling. Relena sat on the edge of her seat, hands clasping her desk tightly. Dorothy however, clenched her fists, but remained seated comfortably.

"What about you? You are dating _three_ pilots now! Don't give me any grief about being unfaithful."

"I am spending time with them. I have not even so much as kissed the pilots." Relena snapped back, and then paused, rethinking Dorothy's words. "Three? I have only spent time with Trowa and Quatre."

"No, my fiancé is one of them too. Just because you have the girl-next- door look about you doesn't mean you can have any guy you want. You have to choose and leave the others alone."

"You're not even engaged! Heero told me he would never ask someone like _you_ to marry him. He's not stupid and I'm sure he's aware of your trysts."

Now Dorothy was standing holding out her left hand in Relena's face. There on the ring finger was a large solitaire diamond with scrollwork on the platinum band. "I think you're mistaken, Miss Darlian. I know what my relationship is more than you."

Relena stood, feeling vulnerable as Dorothy sneered down at her. "I'll take his word over yours. How should I know that that isn't something you bought for yourself?"

Dorothy smiled maliciously then, "I think this ring is hideous, actually. If I was going to buy a ring for myself I would certainly buy something I liked."

Befuddled, Relena remained silent. She had never been involved in so much drama in her life, even in high school. She wasn't quite sure how to handle this. She had always been the mediator during fights.

"Now, _Relena_, heed my warning; if you come near Heero again you will have to answer to me." The heiress turned on her heel, exiting the office.

Relena sat in her office for several more minutes, trying to resist the urge to chase after Dorothy and ring her neck. She had never been threatened before and she certainly wasn't going to allow a woman like _her_ to push her around. Out of spite, Relena started to dial Heero, but then the thought came that he wasn't hers. He surely had heard all of this at home. Hanging up and redialing a number, she called Hilde. Hilde was married to Duo, which was dramatic and chaotic enough. She would know how to handle this situation.

"Hey Hild, are you home?" she asked through clenched teeth.

"Yup! Just got back from the store."

"Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes." She hung up, grabbing her suit jacket and purse. This was the fastest she had ever left her job.

After a short taxi ride to Hilde's, Relena was walking into the house as if it were her own. She felt no need to make an announcement, not with this amount of anger coursing inside her. Relena felt that if she were to open her mouth now, only angry swears and screams would explode from her.

"How was work?" Hilde asked from the kitchen, a bowl of popcorn cradled in one arm while the other held a gallon of milk.

Upon hearing a calm and friendly voice, Relena felt her anger diminish slightly. At least, she could control the screams now. She couldn't scream at her concerned and pregnant best friend when she needed her most. Hilde didn't tolerate yelling and Relena knew to never raise her voice at the German woman because she would find herself out in the grass faster than Duo could talk.

"Already having cravings?" She feigned a smile.

"No, this is the only thing that I can eat that doesn't make me nauseous." She said throw a mouth full of popcorn. "What's going on?"

Relena sat at the dining table, ignoring Hilde's offer of the snack. "I told you about that woman I had to help a few weeks ago, Dorothy Catalonia?" Hilde nodded. "Well, she's dating Heero Yuy."

"Really? Small world." Hilde laughed.

"No, there's so much more." Now, speaking the predicament out loud, Relena could feel the pressure of the situation pushing down on her. She hadn't realized how much was actually going on until the words were on the tip of her tongue. "So, I went out with Quatre, but while I was waiting for him Dorothy showed up. There she told me to be careful with Quatre because he's not the gentleman he pretends to be…"

"They never are." Hilde snorted.

"Then she also tells me she cheats on Heero while he's traveling. But, when Quatre comes to meet me, he's with Heero. At this point, Dorothy calls him her fiancé." Relena sighed, leaning back into the chair. "I definitely like Quatre. He's enjoyable to talk to, but the other day Heero came into my office wanting some help. I agreed to go to dinner with him to discuss his finances and there he tells me he wants to hide his monies from Dorothy. He also said they weren't engaged. "

Hilde's eyes widened.

"Today, just before I called you, she came into my office. She told me that she saw Heero and me at the Majestueux the other night. She told me that the look in Heero's eyes were the same he used to give her. She claims he likes me. So from there, she threatens me and tells me to never talk to him or I'll have to answer to her."

Hilde was silent for a moment, and then slowly, a sound came from her. Soft at first, then growing louder and louder until Hilde wore a smile as big as her cheeks would allow and laughing so hard she was crying.

"This isn't funny, Hilde!"

"Yes it is! You're in so much shit!" She said through bursts of laughter.

"Some friend you are. I'm in trouble and all you can do it laugh."

"What are friends for? I have to laugh at your problems." Hilde said, covering her mouth as she tried to calm down.

"What am I going to do? Heero's a client and I have to talk to him to finish his account."

Tears still swimming in her eyes, Hilde said "Let him come to you. He hired you, right?"

Relena nodded, reaching across the table for a small handful of popcorn.

"Don't worry about him. Let him handle that psychopath by himself. _You_ have two other pilots to worry about. Do you have a date tonight?"

"Yeah, with Quatre."

"Worry about him since Dorothy said he wasn't a gentleman."

"I don't know if I should believe Dorothy anymore."

Hilde left out a heavy sigh, "It sounds like Dorothy or Heero can't be trusted. They obviously have relationship issues that they need to take care of. You don't need to get involved in that. Just do your job because you're so awesome at it and don't think about the drama."

Relena hung her head, "You're right."

"I know I am. Now, help me pick out some baby names." Hilde said, producing a large naming book out of nowhere.

:::

That night, Quatre took her to a large upscale restaurant that put the Majestueux to shame. Relena had never felt so out of place in her life, but to her surprise, Quatre fit right in. Out of his pilot uniform and in a tuxedo, Quatre ordered their food in fluent French. The food was delicious and Quatre opened up to her more. They talked for hours and Relena couldn't believe how much they had in common. It wasn't just family businesses that they shared anymore, but the love of music and old classic literature.

As the night went on, Relena felt herself thinking less and less about Dorothy and her threat and more about Quatre. He was quite a gentleman and she didn't know why Dorothy would say he wasn't. Perhaps he was different when they had been together, but now, Relena was having trouble finding any flaws with this man.

Near eleven o'clock that night, she allowed the one thing she had never let any of her previous dates do; let him walk her home. Exiting the elevator on her floor, she led him to her front door, smiling and still talking about all the mundane things in their lives. They hadn't had any physical contact at all, which surprised her that he hadn't even tried to hold her hand or kiss her yet. This time, though, she would be more than happy to let the blonde pilot kiss her goodnight.

"I had a wonderful time." She said softly, grabbing for her keys from her purse.

"Me too. We should do this more often." He took a step closer, nearly pushing her against the wall.

"We should. Well, Goodnight, Quatre." She tilted her head up a little.

She waited, hoping for a quick peck on the lips, but within seconds, Quatre's lips crushed against hers. She tried stepping away from the assault, placing her hands against his chest. He pressed her against the wall, gripping her wrists tightly to immobile her and wedged his legs in between hers, lifting her off the ground slightly. She screamed from inside his mouth, trying to pull her head away.

He released for a moment and she took advantage. She screamed as loud as she could without a second thought. Instantly, a firm, manicured hand covered her mouth. Quatre took the keys from her fingers. Her hands were free. Her hands were still against his chest so she pushed against him as hard as she could. The blonde took a step back, but remained dominate.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Quatre raise a hand. Cringing, she braced herself for the impact. Instead, there was a grunt and a very loud thud. Chancing a glance, she saw Quatre lying against the wall and Heero hovering over him.

* * *

**Sorry to make Quatre not such a nice guy, but it had to be someone and those people are always the ones you least expect. Don't despair, though. More drama coming!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

An arm was wrapped around his shoulders as he jiggled the keys in her apartment door lock. She looked behind her to see an unconscious Quatre still on the floor. She was trembling and could hardly stand on her own. Grunting, Heero carried her into her apartment, forcing her onto the couch as he turned back to the door and locked it, twice.

"Sugar." Heero's deep voice said. Relena wasn't sure what he was saying. Was he calling her a term of endearment? Did he need sugar? It was such a random thing to say to her.

"Do you have any sugar?" He said again, leaning closer to her face with a grim expression.

"Y-yes, there's some soda in the refrigerator and cookies in the shelf above the stove." She said shakily. She was still confused about why he needed sugar.

He was gone, rummaging around in her kitchen, not worrying about the amount of noise he was causing. Relena turned her head to look out the window and into the city. Sporadic lights glittered the night sky and buildings. She loved the city. She didn't like the silence of the country where she grew up. She had felt alone for most of her life, so moving to the city where there were thousands of people to keep her company was desirable. She was still alone, but now she was surrounded by people.

Heero appeared in front of her suddenly, turning her attention away from the city. "Drink this…slowly." He handed her a can of soda, already open. She took it in her shaking hands and took a small sip.

"Why?" She asked, trying to hand it back to him.

"Helps the shock." He said nonchalantly, sitting down in the armchair beside her. He rested his elbows on his knees and watched her take another sip. "I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner."

"What?"

He sighed, running his long fingers through his unruly hair. "This was planned. As soon as I found out about it I came straight over, but I was too late."

"Planned? Quatre attacking me was planned? By who?" She asked, forgetting her drink.

Heero looked away, staring out of her window. Her apartment was completely dark except the city lights which silhouetted his features. Relena sat there, enjoying that she could stare at him, but also unnerved that someone would attack her. One thing did pop into her head. Dorothy.

"Heero, did Dorothy plan this?"

He cleared his throat, turning his dark blue eyes back to her. "I can't say for sure. I'll let you know when I find out more information." He adjusted himself in the chair, "Feeling better?"

Still feeling shaken, but not as bad, she nodded and attempted to smile. They sat in silence for a few minutes. Relena could tell he was waiting for something as he sat with half of his body towards the door and ready to spring into action.

"You should get some sleep, Relena." He said, breaking her from her trance for the second time.

"I don't think I can sleep now."

"I'll stay here and keep an eye out." He said, trying to resemble someone who was sitting comfortably.

"Why is someone trying to hurt me? You have to know more than you're telling me." She interrogated, frowning at his lack of response.

He cleared his throat again, but made no attempt to answer. Determined, she covered herself in the throw that was strewn across her couch. She sat up, looking out of the window, waiting for Heero to cave. She'd stay up all night if she had to too. She would get all of the information he was withholding from her sooner or later.

As Relena sat there, she racked her brain for some kind of logical reason why someone would attack her. She didn't believe Dorothy was psychotic enough to hurt her for only flirting. The woman was crazy, but not enough to inflict pain. Relena kept to herself so she couldn't think of anyone other than Dorothy that would try to attack her. It was absurd that she was now a target.

Endless thoughts ran through her mind and before she knew it, she had thought herself to sleep.

When she awoke in the morning, she found herself in her bed. The smell of coffee wafted into her room and she could hear someone moving about in the kitchen. For a moment, she had forgotten the previous night's events. However, when she opened the bedroom door and saw Heero cooking, she remembered everything.

"Morning, what some eggs?" Heero asked, not even bothering to turn and look at her.

"You're still here." She said, sitting at the counter and watched him work quickly.

"I told you I would stay and keep watch. How do you want your eggs?" He said again, without bothering to look at her.

"Scrambled. Do you have to work?"

"I do, but not until tonight. Until then, I'll be here." He broke two eggs into the pan, "When I leave tonight, I want you to go over to Hilde and Duo's. You'll be safe there."

"What in the hell is going on, Heero? Why do I now need protection?" She snapped. She wasn't going to allow him to be vague any longer. She deserved the truth.

"Relena," He said, pouring the eggs onto a plate and finally making eye contact with her. "I told you all I know. When I find out more, I will tell you. But as of right now, I don't know what's going on, but I do know you are going to be attacked until you're dead."

"How did you come to find this kind of information?"

"A friend of mine tipped me off. Don't worry yourself any more with it. I'm here and so is Duo." He said with finality.

In silence, they ate their breakfast. For the rest of the day, they were silent except for random comments and questions. She read over her files and got a head start on a few more cases. Heero sat beside her, reading a book from her large collection. It wasn't until six o'clock when he snapped the book shut and stood.

"We need to go."

"How long am I staying with them?" She asked, still scribbling notes on a file.

"Two days. Duo goes where you go."

She leaned back, throwing her pen across the desk and watched it roll off onto the floor. "Why? Hilde will be enough for me."

"Not with her being pregnant." Heero sighed, "I've already talked to Duo and he's agreed. Now go pack."

Rolling her chair back, she stood up, maneuvering around Heero to get to her room. Without looking at anything she grabbed, she was packed and was ready to go within five minutes. She pursed her lips as they walked down the hallway and tilted her head high when they got into the elevator. She refused to look at him. Since when was he able to boss her around? However, he seemed unfazed by her minor tantrum.

"I'll pick you up on Monday. You're not to go to work."

"What?!" She said, louder than necessary.

"You're an easy target there." Heero said, pressing the lobby button.

Sighing heavy enough to make her bangs fly upwards, she asked, "How long will I have to be protected?"

At this, Heero smiled, "Until the threat is gone, Relena."

:::

Heero carried her bag as they walked up to the front of the Maxwell house. It was strange to enter from the front door since Relena had always entered from the back. Sometimes she would forget they had a front door. As she reached for the screen door, Heero placed a hand on it.

"Relena, I don't want you to worry about this. You're at your friend's house so try to think of this as a vacation." He leaned closer to her.

"Yeah, a vacation that I have to have constant supervision." She huffed.

Heero smiled again, kissing her cheek quickly, "Better get used to it."

* * *

**Some minor sweetness for you all. I hope you enjoyed it!**

**I want to apologize for not updating Just Like the Movies yet. The last chapter is planned to be very long and I can't seem to get the pace going for it yet. Don't despair! It will be finished!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Heero returned to the Maxwell house two days later, just as he said. Relena certainly enjoyed her time with Hilde, but in the back of her mind she couldn't quite forget the threat that was outside waiting for her. It had been a while since she spent more than a couple hours with Hilde, and Duo had done a good job at being in the shadows, making himself scarce for the sake of keeping Relena calm.

Heero arrived in the middle of the night while everyone was sleeping. Relena usually wouldn't wake for anything, even a tornado, but the quiet footsteps the snuck past her startled her awake. Within a second, a firm hand clasped over her mouth, keeping her from screaming for Duo.

"It's me." Heero whispered.

"Oh, why are you here so early?" She moved out of his hand, trying to adjust her eyesight to see him better. Only a faint streetlight crept into the house, silhouetting Heero's face.

"Flight got in earlier than planned. I was going to sleep on the floor until you woke up." He pushed her legs over on the couch, sitting down. "How was your time here?"

She brought her legs up to her chest, giving him more room. "It was fine. Hilde and I started planning for the baby. It was strange to see all the choices there are for cribs and bassinets."

Heero let out a light laugh, "I need something to eat. Go back to sleep, Relena."

"But, how were your flights?"

"We can talk in the morning. You need some sleep if you want to go back to work."

Not arguing anymore, she laid back on the couch, closing her eyes, but listened to Heero shuffling around in the kitchen. After a few minutes, he came back into the living room and sat on the floor beside the couch. She remained silent, but she knew her breathing gave her away. Although Heero didn't say anything to her, she knew he was waiting for her to fall asleep again.

When she finally woke the next morning, she was halfway off the couch. Her arm had extended out as if to touch Heero and she was surprised to see his hand held out a certain way, as if he had held it when he fell asleep. She heard the floorboards creak from the upstairs, signaling that Hilde and Duo were awake. She sat up, straightening her hair and clothes. She wasn't much for stealth, but she tried to get off the couch without waking the sleeping pilot. The least she could do for her friends was to start breakfast. Hilde had been lucky not to have horrible morning sickness so everything was still available.

She had just cracked open the eggs when Hilde emerged into the kitchen, smiling brightly. "Guten Tag."

"Morning." Relena said, used to the German greeting.

"When did Heero get in?" Hilde asked, taking out bacon and sausages from the refrigerator.

"Late last night, I guess."

"Hey buddy! Glad to see you made it back." Came Duo's voice from the living room. Heero's response was unheard, but the women knew Duo had been successful at waking his friend when both men entered the kitchen. Heero's eyes were still heavy and he only managed to get to the dining table before he collapsed again. Duo, however, was wide awake, smiling just as brightly as Hilde had.

Relena wasn't sure how those two could be such morning people.

"When did you get in, Heero?" Hilde asked, placing strip after strip of bacon in the frying pan.

"Two hours ago."

"You've only been asleep for two hours?" Hilde said in shock, "Duo! You shouldn't have woken him up. Heero, go back to sleep. We can keep watch over Relena for a little longer."

"No, it's all right. Relena needs to get to work anyway and I told her I'd take her."

Relena and Hilde finished breakfast in silence. Relena felt horrible that he had to watch over her for the rest of the day on only two hours of sleep. Luckily, she had a couch in her office that he would be able to rest on. She wouldn't be seeing anyone today, so her day was mostly filled with phone calls and paperwork. He would be able to get some sleep.

As they all settled into seats at the table, Hilde asked the question that was on everyone's mind. "Have you found out who's after Relena?"

Heero cleared his throat, glancing at Relena briefly. "No, the friend that tipped me off is still investigating."

"No idea who's behind it?" Duo asked, taking another bite of eggs.

Relena and Hilde had discussed the situation every chance they could and always came to the same conclusion: Dorothy wanted her dead. Why? They were still trying to figure that out.

"No."

:::

Relena walked into her office feeling self-conscious. It was strange to walk into her building being closely followed by a man that was looking over his shoulder at any sound. All of the older men in her business stared at her in wonder. Heero had visited her a couple times before, but never had he been so dominate and threatening. Relena wasn't sure if he hadn't had military experience before becoming a pilot. He certainly fit the part of a soldier.

"None of these men are a threat." She said over her shoulder, unlocking her office door.

"You can never be sure, Relena." He heard the lock click and opened it for her, looking inside for anything out of the ordinary. "Keep your blinds shut and don't turn on any lights."

"Am I allowed to turn on my computer, Heero?" She asked sarcastically.

Heero grunted, taking a seat on her couch. She smiled, pulling out the files from her briefcase. As soon as she powered on her computer, she picked up the phone. She had a long list on clients to call and she was sure a few of them would be irate that their updates would be late.

After hours of endless paperwork, Relena was finally able to take a break, which only consisted of standing up to stretch her legs. Heero had fallen asleep on her couch like she had hoped he would. Now was the perfect time for her to sneak off to the restroom and get something small out of the vending machine since a very irritated client kept her on the phone for two hours. Slowly, she opened her door just wide enough for her to get out.

Other than her dramatic clients, she had a very uneventful day. She did as she was told and kept her windows closed and all the lights off. It wasn't necessarily just because Heero had asked her to, but because she wanted to keep the room dark so he would sleep better. The men in her office kept to themselves much more than usual and even her secretary didn't page her as much. Just for the peace and quiet, she thought about hiring Heero full time. He definitely had an intimidating presence she could keep around.

After the vending machine spit out a candy bar, she walked quietly back towards her office. As she snuck back in, she heard Heero's voice whispering. She paused, listening. He didn't seem the type to talk in his sleep and he was out cold when she had left.

"You're sure?" He paused, making it clear to Relena that he was talking to someone. "Where should I take her if that's the case?" He paused again and Relena slipped into her office now. This was something concerning her safety and she wasn't going to let Heero dodge any of her questions now. His dark blue eyes followed her to her desk, holding his cell phone against his ear, "Would she care? I have some vacation time I can put in for if need be."

Relena tried to ignore the conversation, opening her email to keep herself from staring at Heero.

"We'll be there right away." Heero ended the call, standing up. He pressed his palms flat against the desk as Relena noticed an email from her mother. The subject box was a single word: Urgent.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

_Dear Daughter,_

_I'm sorry I haven't been able to call you to let you know of this horrific news. I am actually having someone type this email for me. _

_Relena, I am sick and in the hospital. I didn't want to worry you, but now the doctors have informed me that I only have a few more days and there are many things I have to tell you before I go. I must insist that you come see me immediately. I implore you._

_Love, Mother_

Relena gapped at the computer screen in disbelief. Her mother was sick? She had been sick? Why wouldn't she have told her? They were the only living relatives they had left and her own mother didn't tell her she was sick. So many thoughts rushed through Relena's mind. She couldn't figure out why her mother had kept her illness a secret. Her mind was spinning, trying to figure out when she could have gotten sick. Relena thought back to the last time she had spoken to her mother. It was the night of Hilde's barbeque. That had only been a couple weeks ago. What could have happened within those couple weeks? Her mother certainly sounded and looked fine the last time they spoke. Relena couldn't remember any subtle hints that could have let her know her mother might have been sick.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice that Heero leaned over her computer, reading the email upside down. She couldn't comprehend anything that was going on around her. She could have been attacked at that very moment and she wouldn't have noticed. She thought she heard Heero say something, but she didn't know what. Her eyes were still fixed on the computer, only words like 'horrific' and 'sick' stuck out to her. Her mother was dying.

Suddenly, Relena was shaken violently. Heero was standing in front of her; dark blue eyes piercing her and making her come back to her senses.

"We have to go." He said shortly.

"I want to see my mother." She said, demand ringing in her tone.

"You can't."

"I want to see my mother. Did you not read the email? She's dying. I _have_ to see her, Heero."

"You can't."

She stood up, fists clenched tightly and she said, with no hint of wavering, "I am going to see my mother, Heero Yuy. You are more than welcome to come with me, seeing as I need protection, but I will go without you."

She watched as he sized her up. She could tell he was waiting to see if she would change her mind or if there was any way he could convince her to change her mind. There wasn't. Her mother wanted to see her and she wanted to see her mother as well. Knowing Heero only a little bit, she felt she knew that he would quarantine her until things got under control. This might be her last chance to ever see her mother again.

"Heero," she said, clearing her throat to keep the stern tone, "I will go wherever you want me to go if you let me see my mother this one last time. That's all I'm going to ask of you. After this, I will follow all of your orders, even if I don't agree with it."

After a moment, Heero smirked and nodded. "Close up your office. You won't be back for a while."

:::

Relena's heels clicked loudly down the hospital halls as she sprinted towards her mother's room. The nurses stopped what they were doing to watch the crazed business woman run through their hospital. Heero walked a steady pace behind her, keeping up with her with amazing ease. He was a bit taller than her and he seemed to be more leg than anything else.

Relena could see her mother's door. She picked up her speed, but regretted it as she nearly collided with the nurse that was exiting at the same time.

"Can I help you?" The nurse asked, gripping Relena's shoulders to steady her.

"I'm here to see my mother. I'm Relena Darlian."

"Oh, she's asleep. I'm afraid she might not make it through the night."

"Can you tell me what happened? I spoke to her just a couple weeks ago and she was fine then." Relena asked, clenching her hands to her chest as she gathered her breath.

"Well, Miss Darlian, we ran some blood tests and it looks as if your mother had been poisoned. It obviously wasn't a large quantity, but enough to make her sick. Over time, the poison has been attacking her liver and heart. I'm sure the last time you spoke to her was one of her last good days."

"Poisoned!?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Who would do such a thing to her?" Relena asked in disbelief, mostly to herself. She knew the nurse wouldn't have any answers for her. Slowly, the nurse patted her on the back gently and left Relena deep in her own thoughts.

"Relena, you're too exposed here. Get into her room and stay away from the windows." Heero ordered in an uncompassionate tone.

Relena snapped her head up and turned abruptly on her heel, "How could you date such an evil woman? She's trying to kill me and she has killed my mother. Are you in on it too? Are you helping her get to me? You showed up out of nowhere and you expect me to trust you suddenly? I don't know why I've been listening to you. I was just fine when you weren't in my life."

Taken aback, Heero let his mouth hang open slightly. He didn't fight her as she slipped into her mother's room, slamming the door in his face. She had been right to question his motives and he knew it. She only hoped that she was wrong about him and that he was honestly trying to help her.

"A lady does not raise her voice." A weak voice said bringing Relena out of her rage.

"Mother!" She said, running over to her bed and hugged the brittle looking woman. Relena could feel the bones of her mother's arms wrap around her back. It was the most uncomfortable hug she had ever received.

As they let go, Relena was surprised to see her mother crying. Her mother never cried in front of her. She was always told that tears were very private and shouldn't been seen by anyone.

"Don't worry about me anymore, Relena. This was another risk I was prepared for. I asked you to come here so I could inform you of what I'll need of you once I pass." She cleared her throat, continuing, "You have to take over my position. All of it, not just the half job I was doing. You're fit and young enough to handle its entirety. Now, I know you don't want to take on that kind of responsibility, but I think you will when I tell you this horrible secret your father and I have been keeping." She sighed, hanging her head.

Relena was silent, listening intently to her mother's last words.

"Your father and I aren't your biological parents. We adopted you when the pacifist family, the Peacecrafts, was murdered. We worked for them when they were in power. However, the Khushrenadas were equally as powerful, but represented war and tyranny. They destroyed the Peacecrafts and your father and I were only able to get you out safely. We've been working fervently to keep the Khushrenada's out of power and peace still in the world. We need you to take up our position. Keep them from taking over. You know enough of what we do to keep the Peacecraft ideals from diminishing."

"I…I don't know why you think I still know what's going on. It's been years since I've heard you say anything about what's going on."

"You watch the news, I know you do. You know enough to get you started. I had my assistant pack up all the necessary files for you to look over."

Relena shook her head, refusing to accept all of this information. "I can't. I have to go into hiding, Mother. People are attacking me as well."

"I know. The briefcase is already waiting for you at the new safe house."

Frustration finally began to seep out of Relena's façade, "Who is after us? Who am I supposed to trust, Mother?"

The weak woman settled into her bed more, smiling weakly at her adoptive daughter, "That answer should be obvious, Relena, and trust only those you want to trust."

Relena gripped her mother's frail hand tightly and sat in silence. It didn't take long for Relena to notice the beeping of her mother's heart slow and her breathing becoming shallower. Relena cried for the first time in many years in front of her mother. Even as the heart monitor let out the low, long beep signaling the stop of her heart, Relena didn't move. She watched her mother's face as the nurses and doctors came bustling in, announcing the time of death and the routine condolences.

She was alone now. She had to go to some safe house that she had no idea where it was and she had to work the moment she got there. She would now have to find a way to the safe house seeing that Heero had surely abandoned her for her outburst and accusations.

The sheet was moved over her mother now and the lights had been shut off before she exited the room. She took her time, trying to figure out what she was supposed to do. She thought about calling Duo or Hilde and that maybe by some wild hope that they would know where she was supposed to go. It was long shot and she knew it. She watched the tile floor as she made her way out of the hospital. She didn't regret accusing Heero. She regretted not finding out where she was supposed to go. He had been the only one to be there for her during this mess that had some idea of what was going on.

Halfway down the hall she stopped. Confused, she began to look around as if the some clarity would reveal itself to her within those cold, white walls. She wasn't about to cry, but she did allow herself to sigh heavily, a sign that she was about to call it quits. Suddenly, a firm hand rested on her shoulder.

She turned to see Heero standing behind her. All anger and confusion aside, she was glad to see he stuck around.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

The beginning of the car ride was deafening quiet. Neither of them spoke to each other. Relena felt that there was nothing more to say. She had a sneaking suspicion that Heero was going to drop her off wherever the safe house was and be done with her. Regrettably, she thought it would be for the best. He was too distracting for her to begin her new political tasks. She caught herself earlier that day catching glimpses of him sleeping. He was too attractive to her for him to be around all the time. She wouldn't get any work done when she was constantly daydreaming about what was underneath his jacket and shirt.

As soon as the city vanished from sight and trees became larger and more overgrown, Relena spoke. "Heero, I do appreciate you helping me."

His response was a simple grunt.

"I'm sure I've upset you by saying those things, but I feel that I had every right to be accusatory."

"No, you're right." He finally spoke, tightening his grip on the steering wheel. "I haven't done anything to make you trust me, other than beat up my friend for you, break up with Dorothy because she threatened you, and take an unwanted vacation so I can continue to protect you."

"Well….you never- I never knew you broke up with Dorothy. I still assumed you were with her." She tried to argue, feeling quite foolish that she hadn't considered all the things he had done in just a few days' time for her.

"I would be murdered and lying in a ditch somewhere if I were still dating Dorothy and protecting you." He smiled swiftly, keeping his eyes on the road. "I broke up with her a couple days after our dinner. I guess that's when she came into your office and threatened you."

She sat in silence, honestly not knowing how to respond. Staring out the window was the only thing she could do to try and gather her thoughts. He had done quite a bit for her without her really realizing it. He put his life aside to help her without her even asking. Why? Why would he want to help her when he didn't know her at all? He couldn't possibly be protecting her because she was his financial advisor.

"Heero," she asked, feeling gutsy. "Why are you helping me?"

She was met with silence. She waited, thinking he might be thinking his response over. However, as the minutes dragged on, she knew she wasn't going to get an answer. Leaving him alone, she closed her eyes, wanting to rest since she had a long day ahead of her from here on out. She knew that once she assumed this political position she would run on very little sleep and more stress than she had ever wanted in her life. She had seen her father's hair turn gray before it should have because of the stress. He was always fidgeting, mumbling under his breath about bills and other delegates. She would watch his eyes as he read the paperwork, lines deepening with each word. She didn't want that. She knew she might end up alone, but now that she had a job that was just as time consuming as marriage, she was certain she would be alone. No one wanted to be with someone that was married to their job. Her _adoptive_ parents were a rare breed. They worked for the same people and had the same problems.

She felt strong arms wrap around her back and slid underneath her legs suddenly. She didn't feel as if she was deeply asleep, but when she tried to open her eyes, they felt too heavy to move. She let her head roll, colliding with a hard chest. The scent of oil and aftershave invaded her senses, making her heart beating a little faster. She felt herself be lifted and carried. She had no control of her body, but her hearing informed her that she was being carried across pavement.

There was a click and Relena knew someone had opened a door. "Is she okay? Did something happen to her?" A woman asked, concern lacing her tone.

"She's fine. She just fell asleep on the ride here." Heero responded, his voice vibrating through his chest.

"Her room is at the top of the main staircase; third room on the left." The woman said and Relena heard the door creak. Heero adjusted her in his arms and began his journey into the house. "Someone is here to see you, Heero. Once you put her in bed, you can go to the lounge."

Heero grunted and kept climbing the stairs. Relena almost felt bad for making him carry her, but his scent kept her immobile. She may never get another chance to be this close to him and she wanted to savor it. She breathed deeply, keeping his smell locked in her memory. She heard the lock unlatch and knew it was time to wake up. She squirmed; opening her eyes to see Heero staring down at her.

"You're awake?" He grunted, loosening his hold on her.

She stretched her legs to the ground, but wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Her heels slipped off as she reached the ground.

"This is your room while we stay here. You can go back to sleep if you want. I'll have to meet with the owners of the estate for a few minutes, and then I'll be back."

She nodded, looking around the pale room. A large bed sat in the center of it, frills and lace hanging from the sheets and curtains. All of the furniture looked white, giving Relena the feeling of being in a museum. Even if she wanted to go back to sleep, the sterile feeling wouldn't let her rest comfortably.

Before she had time to turn around, Heero was gone. She paced the room for a few minutes, figuring out where everything was. Pushing back the sheer curtains, she looked out to see green grass and a small garden. Perhaps she would be able to sit outside while she worked since the estate seemed to be secluded.

After a while, she decided to go to the lounge and meet the owners as well. If she was going to be living in someone else's house, she felt she had the right to meet them. Nothing was more uncomfortable than being in a stranger's house. Not necessarily sneaking down the stairs, but the quiet of the large mansion urged her to stay silent as long as possible. She had no direction of where to go, but listened hard for any voices. Eventually she found herself in the formal dining room and then the kitchens. However, as soon as she exited the kitchens, she found herself staring at a large wooden door across the hall. Several voices met her and her curiosity spiked.

"Do you have any idea who could have gotten into Mrs. Darlian's office to poison her?" A man said, with a deep, raspy voice.

"No, we'll have to keep an eye on her office. I might have to send a few people in to question her staff, but I don't think we'll find anyone until Relena gets into the office." She heard Heero say.

Relena pressed her ear hard against the door, "I don't think it would be a good idea for her to go to the office any time soon, Yuy. We have to set up some kind security before that happens, and I'm sure she'll need some time to mourn the loss of her mother." Relena heard the woman say.

"Noin, you should check on her." The man with the raspy voice said.

Before Relena could move away from the door, it was pushed open, revealing a tall woman with short black hair. "Oh." The woman said, not really looking surprised to see Relena eavesdropping.

The door to her left was pushed open wider, revealing Heero. "I told you to stay in your room."

Relena frowned. "I wanted to meet the owners since they graciously invited me into their home. I didn't see why you should be the only one to meet with them."

The woman chuckled lightly, stepping aside to let Relena in. Heero stood his ground, watching her step forward and not welcoming her into the lounge. As Relena made her way in, she was able to see a rather tall man with long, blonde hair behind a desk. She assumed this was the owner of the house. To her left, she saw the Chinese man, Wufei, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He looked exactly like he had at Duo and Hilde's barbeque. Then, to her surprise, she saw Trowa. She smiled at him, feeling slightly guilty for not calling him back.

"Miss Darlian, I'm glad you could join us." Spoke the blonde man. "We were just discussing when you would be able to get to work."

Relena nodded, feeling Heero step up behind her. "I would just need a couple days to look over all the paperwork my mother left me then I don't see a problem going to work."

Hm," The man said, turning his gaze to the floor. "Just what I thought. You're strong and driven, Relena. Don't ever change."

Wufei and Trowa relaxed suddenly and Heero gripped her by the arm. Any resistance she put up was denied as Heero removed her from the lounge. Relena could hear the faint talking of the remaining men as they made their way out of the estate. Heero didn't slow his pace until they reached her bedroom again.

Panting slightly, Relena wrenched her arm free of his grip. "What is your problem?"

"I told you to stay in your room. I'll keep you informed of everything, but you have to stay here where it's safe. I had no idea who these people were or if they could be trusted."

"I thought you knew them? Why would this be a safe house if you don't even know these people?"

"Wufei knew these people and said it would be safe. I trust Wufei and I know he would neutral in all of this."

"Why is Trowa here?"

"Trowa and Wufei work together. I know Trowa and Quatre are friends, but I think Trowa will be on our side."

"Sides? You mean between the Khushrenda's and the Peacecrafts?"

"Yes."

Relena walked slowly over to the window and looked out towards the garden. After several minutes, she finally let out a heavy sigh. "Would it be okay for me to read the paperwork outside?"

"That should be fine…Relena."

* * *

**So, this should be quite a lengthy story. I'm thinking 25+ chapters. Don't lose faith in me. I am writing this all the time.**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Heero delivered the suitcase to her bedroom after another hour of being isolated. He led her outside to the gardens and hovered over her the entire time. After nearly an hour of silence, Relena decided it was time to test her multi-tasking skills.

"Heero, who are the people that own this home?"

"Zechs Merquise and Lucrezia Noin; I've known Zechs since the military." He answered tonelessly.

"The military? I didn't know you were in the military." She continued reading, shocked by the news nonetheless.

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Relena. We haven't exactly had a lot of time to just sit and chat." He surprised her when he sat down on the bench next to her.

"I would like to make this a time to chat, but I have a feeling that we won't get that at this moment."

His dark blue eyes burned into her. She turned her head, sky blue eyes meeting the darker.

"We have plenty of time to get to know each other. I won't be leaving your side any time soon."

Any fantasy she had about him before was trumped by this one single moment. She never imagined him to say something like that to her; even if it was just business. She didn't care at this moment. Her head was spinning and she felt the papers start to slip from her fingers.

"Heero…" She breathed heavily.

"Excuse me, Heero." The woman, Lucrezia Noin said from behind them suddenly.

The moment was gone. They broke their eye contact and she felt tension return back into her fingers.

"Yes?" She heard him say.

"Zechs would like to talk to you for a minute. I can watch over her until you get back, if you'd like."

No response, Heero walked into the mansion. Relena knew her face must have been flushed since Lucrezia gave her a knowing look when she sat beside her.

"Thank you Ms. Noin. I don't know where I'd be if you hadn't offered your home to me." Relena said, changing subjects quickly.

"Anything for a Peacecraft." The woman sighed, stretching her arms over her head.

"Tired?" Relena asked, rereading the previous page.

"Oh, yes. Sorry to seem out of sorts to you. I'm sure you don't want a bodyguard around that isn't on top of everything." Noin apologized.

"It's not a problem. I don't see why I should be hovered over when I'm out here. This is supposed to be safe, right?" Relena glanced up at the woman, curiously.

Noin nodded, smiling slightly before turning her sight towards the gardens. They sat silently for several long minutes, simply enjoying the sounds of nature. Relena hadn't heard a bird chirp peacefully in some time and she realized how much she had actually missed the country quiet.

"This used to be a private estate of the Peacecrafts. We restored it, but have been too busy to actually enjoy the building." Noin said quietly.

"Really? This was a Peacecraft estate? What happened to it that it needed to be restored?"

"A fire, Miss Relena. That's how the Peacecrafts were taken down. Zechs thinks it was a night raid that demolished all of the Peacecrafts. It certainly wasn't anyone that lived within the home." She sighed, "This home, supposedly, was much grander in the past. We've only been able to do so much to it. Maybe you can continue to build onto it as time goes by. I hope this meaningless battle between the two sides ends soon."

"I'm sorry to keep asking questions, but….how is it that you know so much about all of this?"

"I've been in the company of a Peacecraft for a few years." Noin laughed, standing up as the patio door slid open.

"There's another Peacecraft?" Relena yelled, standing up with Noin.

Taken aback by Relena's sudden abrasiveness, Noin nodded and went silently inside. Relena stared at the retreating woman, confused that she would have to take over the monarchy while there was another person that sounded to be more suitable for the position. She didn't want to be in politics. She didn't want that life or the responsibilities. She wanted to go back to her finances and boring calculations.

"They're leaving." Heero's deep voice broke Relena from her thoughts.

She jumped, staring at him blankly. It took only a few more seconds for his words to sink in. "Leaving? Why?"

He cleared his throat, "They have business to attend to. Zechs said they'd be back in a few days and that we should make ourselves comfortable."

Relena was silent, hope blooming in her chest that she might not have to be the one to take over this war. There was another person, someone that sounded more qualified for this task. The only problem was that she had no idea who this other Peacecraft could be.

"Heero, do you know who the other Peacecraft is?"

"No." He said simply, walking back into the mansion.

The following days left the mansion in an awkward silence. Heero wandered the hallways as she sat in the office to go over the mountain of paperwork. However, when she was alone, she searched through all the files in the office for any scrap of evidence of the other Peacecraft. Heero made routinely checks on her, which she was able to figure out a schedule of it all. He came in ten minute intervals. He never said a word, but would just open the office door, watch her for a minute, then leave. When she was hungry, she would stand and walk towards the door so he could escort her to the kitchens.

She wouldn't argue with him, like she promised. All of the small commands he made, she did without retaliation. She was too engrossed in the search of her lost family member to care, either way.

By the end of the third day, she found her mind racing still with the news. She could barely focus on the paperwork, but was still able to retain the little she read. Heero would ask her questions randomly, and she would surprise herself that she knew the answer. She felt like she didn't understand any of it. Now, she looked as Heero's questions like a confidence boost.

As she lay in bed, wide awake, she couldn't help but think she had missed something in the office. There had to be something in the mansion that would give her a clue to whom was her long lost relative. She checked her clock and was frustrated that it was only midnight. She felt as if she had been lying there for hours. However determined she was, she knew she needed her sleep.

But, sleep wasn't coming to her tonight.

She slipped out of the bed and pulled her borrowed robe on. The tile floors of the hallway were frozen underneath the pads of her feet so she kept her stealthy pace quick. The office assigned to her was on the main floor and she would have to pass by Heero's room. She was sure that man never actually slept. Any noise she made, he heard. She had gone to the kitchen on their first night for a glass of water. He knew she left her room and followed her into the kitchen without her knowing. It was only when he turned on the light that she screamed and dropped the glass. She had thought she hadn't made a sound.

If she knew the layout of the mansion, she would have found another way down the stairs. Holding her breath, she tiptoed past his door.

She didn't breathe again until she was halfway down the stairs. Once she knew that she wasn't being followed she bolted down the stairs and into her office. She locked the door behind her. She knew she had gone through all of the papers in the desk and filing cabinets. Now, she felt as if she should just walk the room and scrutinize everything. She began flipping through the small amount of books on the shelves. Tossing them all to the floor, she moved around the room. Anything that resembled paper, she looked at. There was absolutely nothing about Peacecrafts in the room. Most of the papers she found were blueprints and documents of the home's restoration. The only names she came across were Lucrezia Noin and Zechs Merquise.

After an hour of searching, she gave up. Slowly, she unlocked the door and began her journey back into her room. Every so often, out of habit, she would look at the frames mounted on the walls. Some held pictures of the estate, the before and after shots. A scattered amount of photographs of Zechs and Lucrezia together and some of their military days hung on the walls. One picture stood out to Relena for some reason. It was a simple picture of Zechs, smiling and standing next to another blonde man, who was smiling as well. There was nothing unusual about it. Both men were dressed in military uniforms and looked as if they had just returned from a mission. Sweat and dirt covered their faces plainly. Relena looked closer at the blonde man she didn't know. She had seen him before. Perhaps he was in the political arena, since this picture seemed a few years old.

Yawning, she tore her eyes away from the photograph. She could ask Heero about it in the morning. He would more than likely know. As she ascended the staircase, she stopped and looked at the large portrait that hung above the stairs. It was a very large photograph of a family. She had never paid much attention to it, but now, in the moonlight, she knew it was the Peacecrafts.

In the arms of the woman was a baby, dressed in a little pink dress of frills. The man stood behind the woman, a hand resting on her shoulder. A small, blonde headed boy stood next to the woman, frowning. Relena starred at the boy, recognizing him at once.

"Relena?" A deep voice said from behind her suddenly.

She jumped as she turned to see Zechs standing below her on the stairs.

"You? You're the lost Peacecraft?" She whispered.

* * *

**No surprise there, but it had to written for the story to progress. I'm sorry for such delayed updates. I feel like I had to beat my head against the computer to finally finish this chapter. Hopefully this story will start moving along now….but who knows?**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

"I am. I wasn't trying to hide it, but I didn't think it was necessary for you to know, either. You have too much on your plate right now to catch up with an old family member that you can't even remember." Zechs said coolly.

"Not necessary? I think it's more than important to know who you are and why you haven't taken the responsibilities of the Peacecrafts." Relena raised her voice, clenching her fists tightly that her nails began to dig into her palm.

"I can't be seen in the public eye, Relena. I've caused too much grief to show my face to the world as a representative of peace. I have too much blood on my hands to say I support peace and am against war." He took a step forward, now becoming even with her stare.

"Pasts are pasts. There is no reason for you to pull me from my life and force this onto me. I don't want it. If I had any desire to be a politician then I would have followed in my father's footsteps when he died." She was losing control of her tone. She knew she was nearly yelling at him and that Heero was sure to wake up.

"Sister, please calm down." He reached for her, gripping her shoulders tightly. "You need to get some rest. We can finish this discussion tomorrow."

"No. I'm too angry to sleep now. Thank you, Zechs, for your hospitality, but I think I should be on my way. I have to get back to work before I get too involved with this internal war." She huffed, taking a step back on the stairs.

"This is more than some internal war, Relena. If you leave this house and go back where all of the Khushrenda's can get to you, you might as well write your own eulogy." Zechs said forcefully, his deep voice growling at her.

"I think I'll take my chances. If they realize that I'm no longer involved with the Peacecrafts then I should be perfectly fine." She stuck her nose up, as if that was the answer to all of her problems.

"You were dragged into this before you even knew about being a Peacecraft." A deep, soothing voice said from behind her. Relena jerked her head around, seeing Heero standing at the top of the stairs clad in only shorts. "They started attacking you and you could only think it was because of me. You were wrong. Dorothy figured out who you were and coaxed Quatre into attacking you."

"How did she know who I was? I've only ever been a Darlian and there were no traces of the Peacecrafts anywhere."

Heero pointed at Zechs.

"Relena, I implore you, get some rest and we can discuss everything in the morning. You need to let your mind comprehend everything." Zechs said, resting his hands on her shoulders again.

After several long moments, she sighed, turning completely around to walk back up the stairs. She could argue with them all night and she still wouldn't get anywhere. Once she reached the top floor, she brushed past Heero, trying not to stare at his naked torso. This certainly wasn't the time to become flustered.

Heero followed her to her room, walking two steps behind as if she'd run off.

"Sleep well, Relena." He said when she opened her bedroom door.

"Heero…."She said quietly, but she knew he would have heard her. "Would you mind coming in? I want to talk to you about a couple things."

"In the morning. You need to get some rest."

"No, it's not about the Peacecrafts; more about you and Dorothy." She bit her bottom lip nervously. She hadn't asked him anything about their relationship before and she wasn't sure if she was able to now.

Heero ran a hand through his hair, silently nodding and followed her into the room. She climbed into the unkempt bed, leaving enough room for him to sit beside her. He stood, however, ignoring to obvious invitation.

"What do you want to know?" He asked bluntly.

"Anything. Start from the beginning, if you want." She smiled, patting the bed for him to join her.

He glared at her and remained immobile. She gave up, tucking the blankets around her before propping her head in her hands.

As if he had been waiting for that, he started talking in a monotone voice that fascinated her, but also made her eyes droop. "I met her through Quatre, actually. He said she was an old friend of his and thought we would get along well. She has a way with words, like you, Relena. I didn't fall for any of them, but she was interesting to talk to so I let our conversations go on. For a while, I hadn't realized that what we were doing was pretty much what all couples do until she said something…."

He droned on, skipping any detail that she might have wanted. Her head became heavier and heavier until she slumped sideways, fast asleep.

When Relena woke a few hours later, she was surprised to see Heero sleeping in the chair. He stayed in her room, protecting her even in the safe house. She let a smile grace her lips for a few minutes before she remembered that Zechs was a Peacecraft and he had promised her answers. She wasn't fit for the public eye, either. He had grown up knowing about the war and his biological family whereas she knew nothing. She couldn't take charge of a political war when she had nothing to go on. There was no history for her to learn from.

She slipped out of her bed, trying to decide what questions she could ask Zechs first. Her mind racing, she hadn't realized that she had awoken Heero. His grunting sounds stopped her in her tracks and she watched the half-naked man act more human than she had seen in the past week. She had only assumed his stoic persona was from the military, but she couldn't be sure. He might naturally be that way.

"Get dressed then you can talk to Zechs." He said flatly, already knowing exactly where she was going.

She frowned, deciding to give him some kind of fight, "I was just going to get breakfast. I'm sure Zechs is still asleep."

"No you weren't. You never eat breakfast unless I make you." He stood, walking past her to the door. She huffed, but changed clothes faster than she ever had in her life.

Heero met her on the stairs, dressed in a white t-shirt and denim jeans. As casual as he could be and she still couldn't help but blush. It might have been the way he would look at her when she entered a room. Or it could have been the shadowing effect his hair had on his face. He was full of mystery and she was trying hard not to ask about anything.

They walked silently down the stairs, their fingers brushing every so often. Her cheeks were hotter with every casual touch. They walked through the kitchens, ignoring the lingering aroma of breakfast they seemed to have missed. Heero opened the sliding doors and knocked on the opposite door. He opened the door even though Relena hadn't heard a response.

Zechs was sitting behind the desk again, simply staring at the guests while Noin had perched herself on the corner of the desk, arms crossed and smiling at Heero and Relena. Relena was surprised to see Noin there; she had hoped it was only going to be between Zechs and herself.

"Please have a seat. I suspect this will take a while." Zechs' deep voice said, gesturing towards the chairs across from his desk. Heero waited for Relena to take a seat then sat beside her, closing his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest, as if he was bored already.

"Good morning, Lucrezia." Relena smiled at the woman, folding her hands in her lap.

"Where to begin, Relena?" Zechs asked, getting straight to the point like Relena wanted.

"Why am I the only one able to take over for the Peacecrafts?" She kept her voice steady and even, not wanting to get worked up just yet.

Zechs cleared his throat, "I severed sometime in the military and while I was there, I met the current leader of the Khushrenada's. His name was Treize and we became friends almost immediately, despite our moral differences. We kept our true identities hidden while we served our time. However, being in the military cost me the purity and innocence that comes with being a Peacecraft. Total peace for all, Relena. I fought valiantly and mercilessly so I can no longer consider myself a true knight of peace. Please forgive your dear older brother, but this is going to be in your hands now. I've watched you since you were young and I knew that you would make a great, if not better, impact on the people than I could."

Relena scowled, "Just because you fought in a war alongside with Treize doesn't make you any less capable of becoming a leader for peace. You have experience of war and brutality. You have seen what war can do to people so you actually have more reason to lead the way to peace. I am naïve and would have no idea how to make people understand why war is cruel."

"You have a better way with words than I do. You have more than enough resources to help you along the way. I had a discussion with your mother before she passed and she was more than certain you would make the best candidate. She was quite upset that you didn't follow Mr. George Darlian's footsteps since you were his biggest help while he was still alive." He cleared his throat, glancing at Lucrezia briefly, "A knack, I believe is what she said."

Relena sighed heavily, slumping further down the chair. Her professional front diminished and she truly looked like the twenty-five year old woman that she was. This was too big of a task for her to take on. She always enjoyed helping her father, but it was the small satisfaction of relieving her father's stress for a minute. She hated seeing him stressed and forming even more wrinkles underneath his eyes.

"There really isn't anything you can say to get out of it, Relena. You might as well accept that this is the beginning of your new life." Heero spoke with a bored tone. "You'll have us around for you. I'm sure your team will grow the more powerful and influential you get."

"But I can't trust anyone aside from you three."

"There's more to us than you think. This war has been going on for a long time, so the Peacecrafts still have supporters. We still have Trowa and Wufei. I know Duo and Hilde will be more than helpful as well." Heero said, finally putting a small amount of emotion behind his words.

Relena gave a small smile, taking comfort in his words. Alone she would face the world alone; behind the curtains, she would have support and friends to rely on. Heero had already told her that he wouldn't be leaving her while she was forced to face this.

"Do you really think I have what it takes to create total peace in this world?" Relena asked the one question that had been nagging her since the beginning.

"Maybe not the entire world, but country after country, yes. It all takes time and determination, so don't doubt yourself when you're trying to save the world." Zechs stood, smiling faintly.

Relena stood as well, head held high, "So, who's winning this war so far?"

* * *

**Sorry for the delay again! I got sucked into a new romance series...blame my friend. I have some new ideas for this, though and it's all thanks to that series. :D **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm hoping to make bigger progress with the chapter. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Okay, I apologize greatly right now…..I don't know much about politics. Let me know if I messed up something.**

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Chapter Fourteen

_Four months later…_

Dressed in her best two piece suit, Relena emerged from the bedroom, physically and mentally prepared for her upcoming challenge. Four months of preparing. Four months of studying and researching. Four months of questioning everyone and everything. She was ready to face this political war head on. She had never felt more prepared for anything before in her life. She knew that the moment she stepped into the spotlight, she would become a target, but Heero not only taught her as much as he knew about the war, but also self-defense and how to spot an assassin.

He had been more than loyal to her over the months. The only times he left her was for flights that started becoming scarce. She had originally doubted that he was _just_ a pilot, but now when he would come back he would have more information about the Khushrenada's which almost confirmed her suspicion that he was something else. She thought he might still be involved in the military.

Duo and Hilde decided to join her, moving into the large mansion to help protect the Peacecrafts. With Hilde moving in, Relena was content. She was even able to call the safe house her home. Hilde and Relena would hole themselves up in the office or bedrooms, laughing while researching. Heero still hadn't thought it safe for Relena to go into her late mother's office in the parliament building so she was still forced to stay inside, occasionally outside in the gardens, doing her work. News of her mother's death had spread throughout the world, startling several, but now the question that remained was who was going to take her spot? Zechs kept Relena's inheritance hushed.

Until today.

Today, Relena had a very large and very public debate against the empowered Khushrenada. She would get to meet the infamous Treize which she had discovered to be her brother's best friend, but almost political enemy. She wasn't sure how their friendship worked at all. Maybe they passed notes about how to control the world. There were times when she questioned Zechs' peaceful intentions.

As she walked down the staircase, she felt as powerful as she actually was. When she came into view of her awaiting escorts, she felt her skin burn on the back of her neck. She saw Zechs, who was usually stiff, stiffen even more. However, the response of Heero made the flush creep up to her face. Heero's bored persona changed once he saw her. His eyes widened slightly and she saw the tight line of his jaw slacken. She knew she looked the every bit of pureblood politician that she was. She tried to smile, acting as if she didn't notice their changes in demeanor. Noin and Hilde, however, cheered from joy. Everyone in the safe house was waiting for the day she was revealed as Relena Peacecraft.

Hilde, whose belly was very subtly showing now, beamed brightly, tears streaming down her face. "You look beautiful!"

"You're gonna kick their ass, Princess!" Duo said from the foyer.

She smiled, stepping up next to Heero, who was her main escort. He nodded, regaining his posture again and said roughly, "Let's go."

Zechs, Heero and Duo walked out in front of her. She hugged Hilde briefly and followed them out. She wasn't about to admit that she was nervous, but she was. Her hands were shaking and her heart was racing. The moment the car pulled up and an older gentleman, she believed his name was Pagan, opened the door for her, she began to take deep breaths. She was prepared. She had to remind herself. There wasn't anything Treize could throw at her that she didn't have a rebuttal for.

Zechs sat in the front with Pagan and Duo and Heero sat in the back. The car ride was quiet and Relena tried to calm herself by watching the countryside disappear into the city. Once they reached into the city limits and the Congress Hall started growing in size, Heero reached for her hand. She jumped from the contact, but once she saw his stoic expression soften for her, she held his rough hand tightly. Over the months, their physical contact was starting to grow. They'd brush hands when walking by each other, or he'd hold her hand when she was feeling overwhelmed. Some nights he would fall asleep in her room, usually in the chair or the lounge she had brought up for Hilde.

"You'll be great, Lena." Duo said absentmindedly, staring out the window.

"Thanks Duo. Thanks for coming to this too. I know you don't like politics much." She said, smiling weakly.

"It's not that I don't like them. They just lie so much and you know me, I don't like liars." He turned his head away from the view to look at her. His eyes registered Heero and Relena's hands entwined, but didn't say anything.

"I'll be as honest as I can throughout this whole thing, Duo." She promised, wondering how easy it would actually be.

"We're here." Zechs said suddenly from the front seat.

Relena hadn't noticed that her shaking had subsided, but now with the debate so near, she couldn't control it any longer. Heero held her hand tightly, helping her out of the car and into the building. She was surprised that there were no reporters or paparazzi hanging around to see the new heir of the Darlian's.

Zechs must have seen her confused look, "We're entering through a different building. These two buildings are connected through the basement so we'll sneak in from there."

Once inside, she felt as if she was eight years old again. Everything looked just like it had back then. She couldn't help but smile, remembering her father and the confidence he would exude. This was his element and she couldn't disappoint him now.

Relena walked onto the stage the moment the mediator said her name, only he introduced her as Relena Peacecraft. Heero followed her out, standing beside her on the podium. He was clad in a stiff suit and she knew he had a gun tucked in the back of his pants. She felt safe with him near.

Next, the mediator announced her opponent, Treize Khushrenada. He was a tall man, confident just like Zechs. He had a condescending air about him and she knew he would try to demean anything she said. Once seeing him in person, she realized he wasn't as much of a threat as she had once worried about. She had dealt with men like him before, even in the financial world. As he stepped onto his podium, she noticed a woman stand beside him, acting as his bodyguard. This was strange, seeing a woman hover over such a large man. She was sneering at Relena from across the stage and Relena felt her blood boil. This woman was more frustrating than Treize.

Relena had to wonder who was going to be the bigger threat.

"You may lead, Ms. Peacecraft." Thee mediator said into his microphone. "What is your opinion of the war and its way of influencing the smaller lives of the world's people?"

"This war has become redundant. There is nothing left to prove other than two family holding grudges against each other for years now. This war needs to end immediately and send home all soldiers that have been subjected to this insignificant and irreverent war." She spoke slowly and calmly, wanting to sound convincing. "Two families have been feuding for years, decades really, trying to find out who is correct on how to rule the world. Eliminate all borders and let the people speak for what they want. Yes, there will be arguments, but that is nothing that communications cannot resolve. Fighting and weapons only bring fear and panic into this world. No one wants to walk around their city and fear of being attacked, not just by some petty criminal, but the fear of the war that is going on right now coming to their backyard. I say we discard all weapons, send the soldiers home and let peace reign over the entire world."

"Treize, now your rebuttal." The mediator said, looking down at his papers.

"Peace is not something you can attain by just words. You have to fight for it." Treize said confidently. He was nervous at all and acted as if he was sitting in his own home talking about the weather with his friends. "You say to discard weapons, but would that really bring peace? So many people rely on the safety of their weapons and the comforting thought that they can protect their families from their own home. Soldiers should stay where they are, fighting for what they believe in and help stop this violence. The war is much bigger than a feud. Essentially, it started off as such, but now it has transpired into something words cannot stop. Pretty words cannot stop the violence and the hatred that surges through our world. If we discard our weapons, we let ourselves become vulnerable to those petty criminals. Not everyone would abide by those rules. Not everyone would believe that peace can be attained through communication. Remove all borders? How would that help the world gain peace? Prejudice and racism knows no borders. This is something that is dealt with every day and has been for centuries. There is no quick fix for this war. I say, keep on fighting. Let the world fight for what they want so they can appreciate the peace that they will eventually achieve."

"Ms. Peacecraft?" The mediator said, still refusing to look up at the politicians.

"Violence will end violence? I can't see how that cycle would help create peace." She looked over to her side at Heero for a second, considering her words. "Yes, we should stop fighting and throw away the weapons. Communication is the strongest form of peace. There are some things that can be handed to people and not be taken for granted. There are some things that people need guidance with and I am more than willing to help the people of the world realize this. There is nothing wrong with talking things through before escalating into a war. You want peace, but you think peace can only come if you fight for it. You think the people of the world are ignorant and wouldn't appreciate peace and lack of weapons? People would rejoice that they no longer have to fear others."

"Peace is not something that can be handed to them." Treize retorted calmly.

"It certainly is. We have to show them how to do it. Give them examples and let them know that there is nothing wrong with talking this through." She was growing frustrated.

"Miss Peacecraft, your lack of experience is something we need to consider. Although you have grown up in a political home, this does not mean you have the worldly knowledge of war and the effects it has on people. There are people that will never reason and will always lean to violence to get a point across. If we stopped this war right this moment, the world would head straight into anarchy."

"How so, Mr. Khushrenada?" She had to bite her tongue.

"If you take away weapons, send people that have spent most of their lives fighting for what they have believed to be the right thing back to a life they never really had will result in emotions that would only bring more stress and confusions. People would act out, not knowing exactly how to handle these knew insecurities. All throughout history, we have seen just one or two people revolt, which has ended up in a war. A little bit of chaos is all it takes." He closed his eyes, tilting his head respectfully.

"Ms. Peacecraft, Mr. Kushrenada, this will be a short recess." The mediator interjected, standing up from his desk.

Relena sighed heavily, turning away from the microphone and stepped off of the podium. She glanced out at the audience quickly, seeing the height change her perspective entirely. Instantly, her eyes landed on the front row and there she saw the two people she had actually forgotten about since she agreed to become a Peacecraft again, Dorothy Catalonia and Quatre Rebabera Winner. Heero placed a hand on the small of her back leading her behind the stage. Panic blossomed in her chest. She clenched her hand, bringing to her chest to trying and sooth herself.

"You were great. Stop sweating it, Princess." Duo said, smiling brightly as he held a phone to his ear.

"Sister, you were wonderful. Keep talking about ending all borders. I think that threw Treize off for a minute." Zechs said, striding away from her quickly.

None of their words mattered to her. She was afraid and feeling beaten down. Treize was certainly a worthy adversary and now she had to worry about Dorothy attacking her while she stood under a spotlight.

"She's here." Relena said breathlessly to Heero.

"I know. She's Treize's cousin." Heero said nonchalantly.

"And you didn't think to tell me this?" She snapped.

"I didn't find it relevant." Heero shrugged.

She flipped her hair off of her shoulders, setting her firm gaze on him. "This woman attacked me and poisoned my mother. It will always be relevant to know when she will be around."

"You don't know it was her, Relena."

"I have a strong hunch. She's the only one that would have known I was related to Zechs and –" She was cut short suddenly as Heero's lips pressed against hers.

* * *

**Two deaths, two jobs, my daughter has been sick for two weeks, and now I have to start preparing for shoulder surgery…..my life has been crazy. I've finally gotten back in the mood for Gundam Wing so I immediately started writing this chapter again. I had this chapter planned out for a while, but with everything going on, my mind wasn't in it. I'm sorry.**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

The debate ended after a few more hours of heated arguments between Relena and Treize. Duo was cheering and whooping all the way home while Zechs seemed beside himself with pride. Relena hadn't seen this man smile quite as much as he had from the moment she walked off the stage and all the way home. He even decided to sit in the back of the car with them. She thought his smile looked uncomfortable, like he had never smiled before in his life. Heero was just as excited as Duo, but his stoic demeanor kept him from expressing anything more than the uncomfortable smile like Zechs.

Relena couldn't help but smile by their enthusiasm, but she didn't feel like a victor. Treize had certainly made very good points and now she wanted to reconsider her approach. The thoughts kept her mind whirling and she only half paid attention to the conversation the men were having around her. She hadn't even noticed when they pulled up to the safe house estate. Only Heero noticed something was off about her and as they walked into the house and into the cheers of Noin and Hilde, Relena forced her best smile and enjoyed the glass of champagne that Noin handed her. Hilde talked elatedly about the debate and all of her favorite points Relena had made. Duo and Hilde went deep into conversation about how Treize was just a tyrant and he would burn the world before admitting that Relena was right. Relena grimaced at this. She forced herself to stay and enjoy what was supposed to be relaxing evening, but she really just wanted to go to her bedroom and be alone. She never handled being in the spotlight that well.

Once Hilde began to yawn, Relena seized the opportunity to call it a night. The residents of the house dispersed, all walking upstairs to their own rooms, only Heero followed Relena. She didn't deny him when he closed the door behind him. She didn't say anything to him when she walked into her large and lavish closet that Noin had stocked full of clothes and changed into her pajamas. Once she pulled the comforter back on her bed and sank into the plush of the mattress did she look at him. He stood tall and erect, as if waiting for an order. These kinds of moments made her realize how much of the military was still in him.

The kiss. She didn't want to dwell on the kiss. It was sudden and awkward, but elated her. She finished the debate with her cheeks burning and the corners of her lips twitching to make her smile. He stood by her side, acting as if nothing had happened. That was another thing that had been bothering her during the car ride home. Other than Treize's well-made points, Heero was just as stoic as ever. No semblance of what had transpired behind the scenes of the debate at all; which irked her. She had been waiting for that kiss for several months and it didn't change anything between them.

"What's wrong, Relena?" He finally asked.

"Nothing important." He said dismissively, straightening the comforter over her legs.

"You've been sulking ever since we left."

"Sulking!?" She shouted unintentionally.

He took a small step back, but kept his face blank. "Yes, sulking. You should be happy that you won the debate."

"It had nothing to do with my _victory_, Heero Yuy."

He blinked slowly at her, crossing his arms over his chest. "Dorothy and Quatre being there?"

"No." She said hotly.

"Then what?"

"The kiss! You kissed me. Why?"

His arms went lax, falling to his sides slowly. "It was to get your mind off of Dorothy and back into the debate. You did a better job after that."

"That's it!? Nothing else was behind that?"

Heero walked over, sitting on the edge of her bed. He hung his head, "Of course there was more to it, but we can't get into that right now. There is so much resting on your shoulders that we have to keep this professional. I thought you already knew I was interested?"

"How am I supposed to know when you treat me like a chore?"

"Keep it professional, Relena. That's all it's been." He said, looking her in the eyes now.

She sighed heavily, "I am all about keeping my personal life away from my professional life. I'm used to it. I wouldn't be distracted by anything that happened between us."

"I'm sure, but I can't say the same about me."

She stared at him, open mouthed. "It's easier than you think."

Heero studied her for several minutes and Relena could see his mind turning a million miles a minute. He was weighing his options, arguing with himself. Would he be able to keep their relationship in the dark until it was safe to bring it to light? She would make him. She wouldn't give him much of a choice. He was a quiet man, so why would he think he would open his mouth about such things?

After obviously deciding, Heero removed his shoes and crawled onto the bed to lie next to her. That was the night Relena had gotten the best sleep ever since she had arrived at the safe house.

Bleary eyed, Relena made her way through the dark hallways. She didn't understand why the kitchens had to be so far away from the bedrooms. All she wanted was a glass of water and she had to climb down all the stairs and weave through all of the rooms and dark hallways to get a single glass. She wouldn't even drink it all, so she really felt her efforts were over the top.

She was surprised she hadn't woken Heero when she practically fell out of the bed. He must have been sleeping better now they were sharing a room. She always woke up alone, but it was obvious he had stayed the entire night and simply went to his room to change clothes.

She groaned, nearly colliding with a wall when she finally entered the kitchen. She had only been in there during the night so she wasn't sure exactly how exquisite it really was. She could just imagine how all the pots and pans shone and the aromas from the constant cooking would fill the grand room. At certain times of the day, the aromas would waft throughout the house, making her stomach growl in a desperate plea.

A glass was next to the sink, beads of water still sliding down the side from a fresh wash. She reached for it, filling it just to moisten her throat. As she stood in silence, reveling in the feeling of satisfaction, she heard voices. Men voices coming from the neighboring hallway. She knew the room next to the kitchen was Zechs' office. Surely he wasn't still up at this time of night. Noin didn't approve of his late night work habits.

Relena moved closer to the door, listening. There were two male voices and she recognized both of them.

"She made fair points, Milliardo. She certainly is a worthy adversary. I don't understand why you would rip her from her easygoing life instead of you fighting me, though?"

"We can't have two soldiers fighting with words, can we?" Zechs retorted.

"I feel it may be a little selfish on your part, Milliardo. I certainly haven't asked any of my family members to fight this for me. Although I know my sweet cousin, Dorothy wouldn't mind taking Relena head on." Relena could almost hear the wicked smile in his voice.

"She isn't to be anywhere near Relena. I saw her at the debate the other day; how could you allow the woman that killed the woman the raised your opponent near us?"

"Dorothy didn't kill Mareen Darlian, "Treize said simply, "however, she did have a hand in it. I would investigate her personal relationships if you want the real culprit. That woman has a better way with words than Relena or myself combined. If she wasn't so….corrupt, she would make a great leader. I'm sure she talked one of her many boyfriends into poisoning Mareen."

Relena stood, ear pressed firmly against the door and finally wide awake. She was glad she didn't have to glass of water in her hand anymore or else she would have dropped it from the news. As quietly and hastily as she could, she ran through the house, not stopping until she was back in her room and shaking Heero awake.

* * *

**I might update this one more time before my surgery. After that, who knows when I'll be back? I'm right handed and I'm getting surgery on my right shoulder :/ I'll be M.I.A. for a while. **

**BUT this story will be concluding in just a few chapters. I realized that I could actually end it in about two or three chapters, but I want to draw it out a little more. **

**Hope you enjoyed it!**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Heero and Relena sat on her bed, deep in discussion for the majority of the morning. It was only when Duo and Hilde peered inside her room when they realized they were being missed. Relena flushed, hoping they hadn't heard what she and Heero were talking about.

"Hey Heero, Trowa and Wufei are looking for you. They said it's urgent." Duo said, smiling at the assumption of them being in her room and still in pajamas.

Heero nodded, brushing Relena's cheek as he stood. Hilde moved aside, taking his previous seat on her bed. The German girl was smiling brightly, rubbing her tiny bell bump. As soon as the door closed, she spoke quickly, asking fervently if anything had happened between Relena and Heero. Naturally, the blonde denied it, not wanting to get caught up in her secret relationship while her older, estranged brother could quite possibly be conspiring against her.

After a while, Relena deemed it time to get dressed and leave the confinement of her room. The girls walked out to the gardens, still chatting about the men. Relena still felt bad about losing interest in Trowa, but Heero _had_ been her first interest. There wasn't anything wrong with the spiky haired man, but Heero held her interest. During the single date she had with him, he seemed to lecture her and read deeply into things that she just wanted a simple answer to. Not everything needed some psychological response.

Relena was interested in what could possibly bring the two other pilots to the safe house after months of no news. However, she knew that Heero would inform her later. She had almost learned her lesson of being overly curious and she was sick of being scolded, by not only Heero, but by Noin and Zechs. At the moment, the furthest from Zechs she could be, the better she was able to keep her tongue. She certainly didn't want to accuse him of anything before she knew for sure. That was what Heero had agreed to investigate.

An hour after sunbathing and gossiping, Heero and Duo came out. Both men looked solemn, but Relena didn't ask. She would wait to find out about the meeting. Duo would more than likely let it slip before Heero did, so she sat up, waiting patiently and looking expectantly at the braided pilot.

"We're going to have to leave in a couple days." He said, sighing heavily.

Hilde frowned, "Why? I feel like we just got here."

"Security reasons; we have to get Relena to another safe house. She'll have to stay with us until Zechs and Noin find something else."

"Security?" Relena murmured.

"There's been a threat made on the estate." Heero said stoically.

"What?" Hilde exclaimed.

"Someone found the whereabouts of the safe house. Wufei heard a rumor that someone was planning on attacking Relena. We don't know what that entails."

"I bet it was Treize." Relena mumbled, glancing quickly at Heero.

Hilde and Duo seemed not to have heard her, but Heero nodded once, agreeing with her accusation. She wanted to faced Zechs immediately, point her finger for being a traitor, but she knew her impulsion wouldn't get them far. He could simply deny it, telling her she misunderstood the conversation. Then what? Tension would impregnate the house and she would feel guilty for not trusting her brother. He had spent so much money on rebuilding this and keeping her safe. Why would he turn her in?

Someone must have followed them.

The night was quiet. The entire house was empty from noise except the soft thuds of Relena's feet walking down the upper corridor. It was well past midnight, but the news of the attack on her was keeping her awake. She knew she should get used to it, especially with her growing popularity since the debate. She read the newspapers, watched TV, and saw on the internet that her fame was growing rapidly. It seemed like no one was siding with Treize anymore.

The quietness of the house reminded her of Christmas. She felt like she was a little kid again, waiting to see Santa come down the chimney and leave her presents. She opened her bedroom door slowly, hoping the hinges wouldn't creak and alert her sleeping counterpart that she had even left. She couldn't believe how well he slept now that they shared a bed. She could never sneak around if he slept on his own. It was a weird twist. She started to assume he didn't sleep at all.

She set the glass of water down on the bedside table and climbed back into the bed, snuggling up against Heero's sweating body. She listened to his breathing, letting the rhythm coax her to sleep. Just as her eyes felt heavy, closing completely, a low and ominous rumble came from outside. Jerking awake, she pulled the sheer curtains back, looking around the grounds and then up into the sky.

She saw it. It was coming lower and lower, almost directly at the estate. She shook Heero awake, panic etching across her face. She had to hurry. Once Heero was sitting up, she rushed out of the room, banging on all of the doors of her friends' rooms.

This was it. She was sure this was the attack. She didn't like to be paranoid, but she knew Wufei wasn't one to make many mistakes. Although Heero or Dup didn't tell them when the attack was rumored to happen, she knew that it was now. Hilde answered the door, seeing Relena's blue eyes wide in panic, the German woman asked nothing. She pulled her sleeping husband from the bed and rushed down the stairs. Heero had pulled on his shirt and followed Relena out into the corridor.

Everyone was out, running down the marble stairs and out into the front of the estate. Zechs and Noin were running after them, clad in their pajamas as well. There was no time to get anything else out of the house. There was only time to hurry off of the property before the shuttle crashed into the safe house.

Flames engulfed the house, swallowing it whole and shattering the windows from the impact. The group could only stand there speechless as the fire grew and consumed more of the building. Relena was just happy that no one had been hurt.

Her paranoia had paid off.

* * *

_Sorry it's a little shorter, but I wanted to update this. Any mistakes that are out of the ordinary for me are probably from this damn sling I'm in. It's been almost two weeks for me since the surgery and I still have three more to go! Bleh! Oh well, I get to start physical therapy, so maybe my recovery will be faster._

_Here's hoping!_

_P.S. anyone see Rise of the Guardians? Super awesome movie and I suggest you watch it. It's my new love!_


	17. Chapter 17

None of them had gotten any sleep and had argued through the entire night. Eventually, Heero left with Zechs to 'take care of things'. Noin was left to deal with the fire department and police reports. Duo drove Hilde and Relena back to their home in the city. She and Heero had argued once the explosions had stopped and just stayed as a burning heap of building. She wanted to go into her mother's office. It was time to face the enemy head on, but he seemed to think it was still too early. She didn't know how he could still use that excuse when she had just been seen in public for the debate.

As soon as he left with her brother, she turned to Duo and coerced him into taking her to the office in the morning. He was reluctant, not really wanting to go against his friend's orders, but he understood Relena's side.

The ride to the city was quiet except for Hilde's snoring. Duo tried turning the radio on, hoping to hear some news about the plane crash, but Relena wasn't in the mood. She had so many things to prepare for. This would be the first time she would make an appearance to her mother's old office. This was the first time she was actually taking over the office. It should have been a huge and public celebration. The President should have been there to walk her in, but this was now a stealth operation. She needed to get in there and take control.

Relena couldn't sleep at all, but had gone through some of Hilde's old clothes that were now too small for her and her growing belly. She looked respectable and paced through their house until Duo had slept at least a few hours. By nine o'clock, Duo had dressed in his usual black attire and left Hilde asleep on the couch. Relena rode in the car, hands clasped firmly together, but her knee was bouncing up and down from nerves. She didn't know what to expect when she got there. She was coming unannounced. She wasn't even sure if anyone would be in the parliament building. She had met some of her mother's assistants so she knew they would recognize her, but she hadn't been in touch with any of them.

"Don't worry so much, Princess. Everything will be all right." Duo yawned, taking a sharp turn suddenly.

"If I don't die in the office then I will die in your car." She snapped, but Duo laughed. He knew he was a reckless driver, but somehow he was always safe at the same time.

Once they pulled up to the building, an eerie feeling swept across Relena. It looked deserted. There wasn't a single light on inside of the offices and no cars littered the parking lot. She hesitated inside the car for a moment. The paranoia that she had felt only hours before was still looming over her. However, a gentle pat on the back from Duo made her move. She walked across the parking lot, trying not to stumble. He carried her new briefcase that held very little paperwork that she had been able to scrounge together in a short amount of time. She had lost almost everything in the fire, but most of her work had been emailed to her by her mother months ago.

The doors were unlocked and the halls were dark and quiet. She really was in this side of the building alone. The chill that went down her spine made her stop in mid-step, but then she remembered why she was there. She had to take control. She had to prove that she was able to handle any kind of threat with grace and let the world know that she was willing to fight, but without weapons.

Duo walked ahead of her, the gun tucked in the waist of his pants. She had never seen him so serious and professional before. For a pilot, he had the same mannerisms Heero had in moments like these. She hadn't been aware of Duo being in the military, but it made sense. Heero had said they met in school, but perhaps his definition of school was military training.

Her mother's office was the tenth door on the left. Relena didn't have to count them, but knew the amount of steps to take. She liked to count. She liked numbers and its unusual effect they had of calming her. She was whispering to herself as she walked. Once Duo stopped at the office door, though, she lost all train of thought. The paranoia feeling was almost overwhelming and she felt like she was losing her breath. Duo, however, ignored her panic and entered to office. She almost reached for his gun, but her feet were not fast enough. She lunged, stumbling into the office and colliding with Duo. Duo stood perfectly still as he stared at the opposite side of the room, his mouth hanging open slightly. She saw what he was staring at and her mouth fell open as well.

Quatre was standing in the office, gun aimed and a menacing smile was spread across his lips.

"You?" Duo sputtered, immobile and staring at his friend.

"Hello Duo," Quatre's gentle voice said, still aiming the gun directly at Relena.

"What are you doing here, buddy? You're supposed to be helping us in Africa." Duo continued to stammer, trying to figure out what his friend was doing.

"No, I found myself to be quite useful here. Did you know the Khushrenada's are trying to recruit all of soldiers?"

"But—but you're a pacifist! You are against everything they do!"

"Not anymore, Duo." Quatre yelled, aiming his gun at Duo now. "They showed me that you can still have peace without discarding our weapons. Relena's ideas are juvenile; only something a spoiled little girl would think of."

"You can't be serious! We worked so hard to protect her for this long and you're… you're just going to betray us."

"The debate really made my mind up. She didn't seem to know what she was talking about. I don't want to live in a world that is ruled by a girl that doesn't know _how_ to rule the world. We would be much safer with Treize."

"You've got to be kidding me."

Relena moved away from the doorway and tried to step forward. She wasn't about to let Duo protect her for anything else. Quatre was right, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to stop trying. If she was the only one capable to help this world and free it from the terrors of war then she would do everything she could. There was no point in trying to hide from death when she knew there was always going to be a chance of it coming for her in this position. She just had thought it would come from Dorothy and not Quatre. And although he had attacked her so many months ago, she still felt he wasn't in his right mind about it. It wasn't him she feared.

"So, what'll you do now, huh? Kill us? What would that prove to the world if you killed off one of the last Peacecrafts?" Duo challenged, side stepping Relena and keeping her behind him.

"I won't kill her." Quatre laughed, lowering his gun suddenly.

Duo and Relena were confused, but only for a second. Relena saw the movement out of the corner of her eye. The sound echoed through the room which was followed by Duo's scream of pain. Relena jumped to the ground, trying to find the wound. Dorothy was hovering over them, laughing maliciously and the gun still aimed at them.

"Dorothy!" Relena cried, applying pressure to Duo's knee which was bleeding heavily on the carpet.

"Hello Miss Relena," cooed the platinum blonde, "I was wondering when you would show up for work. Take on the role as world leader."

"I have shown up to prove you wrong, Dorothy."

"How are we wrong? We want everything you do, but we just have a different approach. We should be joining sides, Miss Relena."

"Never." Relena spat.

"Oh? Your mother had that same attitude, but a simple slip of the hand into her tea cup solved that issue. Although your end will be a bit bloodier than I wanted, it'll suffice."


End file.
